


Life Could Be a Dream, Sweetheart

by imagineyou (jokerindisguise), jokerindisguise



Series: Reader Is Number Eight [2]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Angst, Apocalypse, F/M, Gen, Reader Insert, Reader is Number Eight, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-02
Updated: 2020-04-08
Packaged: 2020-04-09 12:07:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 46,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19060630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jokerindisguise/pseuds/imagineyou, https://archiveofourown.org/users/jokerindisguise/pseuds/jokerindisguise
Summary: You are known as Number Eight and 'The Nightmare.' You have the ability to dream-walk and bring nightmares to life for people. Growing up as a member of the Umbrella Academy defined you whether you wanted it to or not.One morning, Five has an argument with your dad about time-travel and decides to test his power out for himself. You volunteer to go with him. When he lands you both in the aftermath of the apocalypse, you can't help but wonder what happened to cause the destruction of the world.





	1. Kings and Queens

**Author's Note:**

> I have been holding onto this idea since I posted chapter two of Somebody to Love. I've planned out the chapters. I have an idea of what's going on. I'm hoping to get a couple of chapters out a month. Life has been crazy lately, so I can't promise I'll update once a week like I did with Somebody to Love. But I hope this is still enjoyable. This is for everyone that wanted Somebody to Love to be a Klaus/Reader. 
> 
> This is going to bounce back and forth between two time periods. You'll see why if you read this. :) Truly sorry about the terrible summary.
> 
> Disclaimer to add that I do not own the characters or plot associated with The Umbrella Academy. I am merely playing around in their sandbox.

Being a member of The Umbrella Academy was something that defined you. You didn't want to be constantly reminded that you were a teenage superhero, but it followed you everywhere you went. Well, whenever your dad actually let you out of the house. The reminder was there every time you went on a mission or gave an interview. It came with the people who clamored for your attention and wanted to be your best friend without even really knowing you. Some of the others soaked up the attention, but you had never adapted to the fact that your life was made public just because you happened to be born under abnormal circumstances. 

You were known as Number Eight or 'The Nightmare.' Your power involved dream-walking. You could enter the dreams of anyone around you and as you grew older, you even learned how to send people to sleep. Your dad told you that it would be useful since it could help you enter someone's dreams to interrogate them. As you grew older and trained, you learned to influence the dream which allowed you to show the person anything you wanted them to see. All you had to do was dream it up for yourself and the other person would experience it in their dream. Your dad, Reginald Hargreeves, was even trying to train you to bring the nightmares out into the real world so that you could influence someone even when they were awake. He claimed that one day you could use it as a distraction or to incapacitate someone. He urged you to take advantage of what people truly feared so that you could use it against them. He often made you work with Number Six to get ideas for what you could use to build someone's nightmares for them. 

You and Number Six bonded over your reluctance to deal with any and every horror you were forced to come up with. While he could call forth monsters just below his skin to unleash on others, you were supposed to study anything that could possibly terrify someone. 

"Is that why they call you The Horror?" You asked one day when you were meant to be studying the works of various horror writers. You didn’t think it was fair for them to call Number Six by that name. His power could be scary, sure, but he was one of the most calm and level-headed of the group. He didn’t deserve to be feared for something he couldn’t control about himself. 

Number Six shrugged his shoulders as he flipped a page in his book. "I try not to let it bother me." 

You frowned and slammed the book shut in your lap. "It’s a bunch of bullshit. Why are we stuck with these powers? Isn't it insane? I'd much rather be able to throw things or influence people with just a few words. I'd even take Five's powers if I could. Even Number Seven has it better." 

Number Six glanced up at you. "The power doesn't make you who you are, Eight. It's just a part of you." 

"I'm just wondering why I can't be 'The Dreamer,' or something. If Dad would just let me help people with their nightmares instead of bringing them to life, then I'm sure it would be a lot easier to live with. At least he doesn’t make me give you guys nightmares. I don’t think I could live with that," you mentioned with a shudder. You would hate for the others to use their powers on you. You wouldn’t be able to take it if you dad told you to interrupt the dreams of the other members of the Umbrella Academy in the name of training your powers. You ended up in their dreams some nights, but you mostly observed since a lot of the time you couldn’t help but dream-walk when you were actually asleep. 

Number Six reached out to place his hand on your shoulder. "Just think about what it'll be like when you're older. Once you're old enough to live on your own, then you won't have to do anything Dad tells you. You won’t even need to use your power at all." 

You snorted and glanced down at the book in your lap. You traced your fingers over the skull on the front cover. "Unless I'm dead," you muttered. 

"Hey," Number Six said, pulling your attention back to him. "That's not going to happen. You have all of us to watch your back, right?" 

"Yeah," you agreed. "Thanks, Six." 

You had a unique relationship with each member of the Umbrella Academy. Even though your dad spent a lot of time pitting you all against each other under the pretense of training your powers and preparing you to save the world, you still managed to bond with each of them in some way. You honestly suspected your dad just liked that you all competed for his attention and approval in one way or another. Even you were guilty of looking to him and hoping to see that he would be proud of you just once. As you grew older, you stopped believing it would actually ever happen. 

Number One had super strength. He believed that just because your dad chose him to be first in the line-up that he was actually the leader. You loved him, but you were worried about what the pressure of being leader would do to him later on. Whenever you walked into his dreams, he was usually dreaming of being on a mission or of Number Three. It was interesting to see how he perceived the rest of the team in his dreams, but you stayed far away whenever he was dreaming of Number Three. You weren’t all that close to One or Three. They seemed to be in their own little world half the time and while you watched their backs on missions, once you got back to the mansion, it was back to training and competing with each other to be the best. 

Number Two could throw just about anything and have them hit their targets. He mostly trained with knives and whenever you wanted a bit of time away from your dad’s disappointed gaze you would watch him throw knives at his dart board. Sometimes you would try to distract him by saying outrageous things or making weird noises just to see if he would miss. He rarely let you break his concentration, though. He mostly dreamt of being the leader instead of Number One. He seemed to be the one to save the day in every dream and you tried to tell him that his personal competition with Number One would only make him grow to hate the other as he got older, but he never seemed to listen. You were close to Number Two, even though he liked to act like he didn’t need anyone else but himself sometimes. You knew that he was embarrassed by the fact that he had a stutter, though. Sometimes, you could hear Grace coaching him and trying to get him to work through sounds and words without stumbling over them. 

Number Three could bend reality by just saying the words, ‘I heard a rumor.’ Out of everyone else in the house, you were scared of her. It would be so easy for her to influence you. And while you could walk through her dreams whenever you wanted or even peek into her mind, you tried not to because you were worried about retaliation. Your dad still urged you to look in on each of the others so that you could train your power, so whenever you did end up in her dreams, she was usually seeking attention in some way. She was giving an interview, winning some kind of competition, or gaining fame. She was so confident in herself that you always thought that she would probably be one of the first to leave the Academy and never look back. 

Number Four could see and speak to the dead. He was your best friend in the house. He seemed fun and free-spirited, but you knew that there was more going on. You were aware of the fact that even at the young age of thirteen, Number Four was already turning to drugs to try to stop being haunted by ghosts at every turn. You could see that his power took a toll on him and the more your dad pushed him to speak to the dead, the worse it got for him. You tried your best to be there for him and even though you hated invading his privacy, his dreams were always filled with the dead. You did your best to soothe his nightmares, but there was only so much you could do. You knew that it was hard for him to be faced with the dead every waking and sleeping moment. He never really told you what he went through, but you trusted that if he ever needed to talk, then he would come to you. 

Number Five could travel through space. He was even sure that he could travel through time. Even though Five liked to act like he was better than all of you, you were still close to him. You knew that he actually cared about everyone in the Umbrella Academy and thought of you all as family. His dreams mostly involved his desire to travel through time, but he also dreamt of you and the others and going on adventures to Griddy’s or the bowling alley. Sometimes you wondered if his arrogance was all an act, but you knew without a doubt that Five was the smartest of all of you. He was also constantly trying to push his powers. Where you were wary of your power, Five had taken to embracing his ability. 

Number Six was quiet, but he usually offered you advice and was there for you when you most needed him. You knew that he dreaded using his power, but he would use it in an instant if it meant saving you or one of the others. He mostly dreamt of monsters and turning into a monster permanently. You did your best to soothe his nightmares like you did for Number Four and while you usually had more success in calming down his mind, you knew that it only helped so much when your dad was making him train his powers as often as possible. You figured that between you, Number Four, and Number Six, you were probably going to spend a lot of hours in therapy as you grew older. He was the one that you trained with, though. When Dad set you with the task to come up with ideas to basically mentally torture people, Six was usually right there with you studying up on the monsters he was able to conjure beneath his skin. 

Number Seven was also reserved, but you knew that she longed for more in her life. You knew that she wanted a power and wanted to fit in more than anything. A lot of her dreams involved her helping out the team on missions. She was the one that you were supposed to spend the least amount of time with. You couldn’t help but want to include her, though. You knew that Dad was probably the worst with her. She didn’t have a power, but that didn’t mean that she had to be kept out of the family. You hated seeing her look so dejected whenever Dad purposefully left her out of things like family portraits or interviews. Sometimes, when you were listening to Five talk about everything he could do with his power, Number Seven was right there with you. She always seemed so fascinated by what everyone could do and your heart broke every time you had to go save the day without her by your side. 

As you grew older, your relationship with each of the others changed as new events took place in your lives. Your bond strengthened, but there was a resentment starting to form due to your Dad’s insistence that all you were ever good for were your powers. You knew that you and the others were starting to believe it. You longed for the day that you could leave and never look back. You only hoped that you would still be on speaking terms with the others by the time that happened. 

Between going on missions and giving interviews, you were getting tired of the superhero life. Five began to talk more often about time-traveling. Your dad told him to let go of the idea until he was sure that he would land where he wanted to, though. You knew that Five wasn’t going to let it go, though. He was stubborn once he set his mind to something and nothing anyone could say would redirect his train of thought. That was why you told him that if he believed that he could do it, then he should try it. He told you that he would, but that he had to pick his moment. 

It wasn't long after you told Five to fulfill his urge to time-travel that Grace decided to give you and the others name. It happened when you told her that you were tired of being a number. 

“Everyone else in this world has a name. Why am I only a number?” You were sitting at the kitchen table and watching her wash dishes. She had been focused on her task, but once you spoke up, she turned to look at you. 

“I’m sure your father meant to name you as soon as you were born,” Grace reassured you as she moved to stand beside the table. 

“I doubt that, Mom,” you replied, knowing that Grace liked it most when you referred to her as your mother. Honestly, it was hard to think of her as your mother or as Hargreeves as your father, but you figured that they were all you had. You weren’t even sure what to think of Pogo. 

“Your father cares about you and the other children,” she promised as she reached out to brush your hair away from your face. “Now, if it really bothers you, then I suppose I could give names to you and the other children.” 

“Really?” You perked up at the idea of finally having a name. You were used to only being a number to your father or ‘The Nightmare,’ to the world. You wanted something that people could call you that helped you feel like you were more than your power. 

“I just need to make sure your siblings want one, but I’m going to give you your name now.” She pulled on your arm until you were facing her. She stared at you for a few moments and you had to fight the urge to shift in your seat. You weren’t sure what she was looking for, but to be under such intense study felt almost nerve-wracking. You felt uncomfortable until she offered you a smile. “My dear, sweet Y/N,” she finally said as she brushed her hand against your face. 

“Y/N?” You repeated the name a few more times, slowly getting used to it. 

Grace nodded her head. “Your name. Do you like it?” 

You thought it over for a moment before you nodded your head. You leaned forward and hugged Grace, feeling grateful that she thought you were worthy of a name. “I love it,” you told her. 

Within the day, everyone but Five had requested a name. You spent time with the others in the living area, all of you trading names and getting used to going by anything other than your numbers. 

Number One became Luther. He seemed proud of his name as he told you and the others about how Grace had named him. Number Two was Diego. He tried to act like it wasn’t a big deal, but you could tell that he was secretly pleased. Number Three had been named Allison. She seemed proud as she told you and the others that she no longer wanted to go by her number. Number Four was Klaus. You watched as he mouthed the name over and over to himself as if he didn’t want to forget. Number Six became Ben. He didn’t really say much beyond his new name, but you knew that he was as content as the rest of you to finally be known for something other than a number. Finally, Number Seven became Vanya. She distanced herself from the group as you all expressed your excitement over your new names, but you could tell that she wanted to join the conversation. You sat down next to her while everyone else talked. 

“Do you like your new name?” 

Vanya nodded her head and pushed her hair behind her ear. “Do you?” 

“I do,” you said. “It’s going to be nice to call you and the others by names instead of numbers.” 

She offered you a shy smile. “Why do you think Five didn’t want one?” 

You shrugged your shoulders. “He said he didn’t care. You think that’s true?” 

Vanya seemed to think about it for a few moments. “It’s Five, Y/N. He kind of does his own thing.” 

“True,” you agreed, resolving to ask Five if he was really okay with not getting a name later on that evening. 

Weeks passed and you slowly got used to having a name. You slipped from time to time and called the others by their numbers, but you were learning to adapt. 

You spent any free time you had listening to Five continue to explain to you his theories about time travel. You knew that it was only a matter of time before he put his theory to the test, but you weren’t sure that you were ready for the outcome if it didn’t work like he wanted. 

The morning that Five changed everything started out like a lot of mornings at the mansion. Grace started up Herr Carlson on the record player while you waited with the others for your dad to sit down at the table. You wanted to go back to sleep more than anything, but you knew you would be in for a lecture and brutal training session if you failed to show up for breakfast. 

Once everyone was sitting at the table, you took a bite of your food and glanced around at the others. Luther and Allison were trading glances while Diego carved something into the table. Klaus was rolling up a joint and barely disguising his actions. You were going to kick him under the table until you noticed the tension in the air caused by Five. You glanced over to see that he was glaring down at his breakfast, obviously trying to work something out in his mind. 

You were sure that he would make whatever was on his mind known at some point, even though you were sure it was about time travel. You shared a quick look with Vanya and noticed that she seemed to be worried about Five as well. You knew there wasn’t much you could do about it at the moment, so you sat quietly at the table while you waited for breakfast to be over. You raised your hand to cover your yawn and then glanced back down at the food in front of you. You didn’t feel like eating, but you knew that your dad would get pissed if you refused to eat. You were tired, though. You kept having nightmares about things that hadn’t happened to you. You knew that your mind was absorbing the nightmares of others and twisting it into something that would truly scare you. Half the time your dreams were a combination of what you had witnessed in the minds of others. You weren’t even sure what was yours anymore. 

You jumped when Five drove his knife into the table and turned to look at your dad. You listened to him argue that he should be able to practice travelling through time. Your dad brought up his usual argument as well and you somehow knew that this time was different. Five seemed more determined than ever to get his point across. He wasn’t going to take no for an answer this time and you worried that he would do something he would regret. 

By the time Five was standing beside your dad, having jumped to prove his mastery of his ability, you were pushing yourself away from the table. As Five walked out of the room, you moved to follow him. 

“Sit down, Number Eight!” Your dad demanded as he turned his gaze on you. 

“My name is Y/N,” you told your dad. “And I’m not letting him go off by himself.” You walked away from the table, ignoring the look of disbelief that Luther shot you as you rushed to follow after Five. 

“Y/N!” Klaus called after you. You glanced over your shoulder to offer him what you hoped was a reassuring look. 

“I’ll be right back,” you promised before you left the room. 

You found Five standing just outside of the mansion. 

“Five,” you called. “Are you really going to do this?” 

Five turned to study you for a few seconds before he nodded his head. “I know I can do this. The old man doesn’t know what he’s talking about.” 

You took a few seconds to think over your decision before you made it. “Then let’s go,” you said as you held out your hand. 

Five looked surprised for a moment before he smiled at you. He grabbed your hand, pulling you down onto the sidewalk with him. “Hold on,” he said before he took a few steps forward. 

It seemed like between one blink of your eyes and the next, you were in a different time. It was the same street, but a different time of the year. You glanced around in awe, seeing the people you passed as Five kept leading you forward. He jumped in time again and you couldn’t help but laugh with delight at seeing the street around you change. “This is amazing!” 

Five smirked at you before he jumped again. And again. 

Five stopped walking and you almost crashed into his back. You weren’t sure what was happening at first. You thought maybe he was worn out, because using his power was always exhausting for him. There was only so much all of you could do at any given time depending on how much you had used your power. 

It was the silence that alerted you to the fact that something wasn’t right, though. You glanced around at the scene before you. There were no people walking down the sidewalk. There weren’t any cars traveling down the road. It was dark and gloomy. You glanced all around, hoping to find someone. It felt like you were the only two left in the world, though. 

“What is this, Five? Where are we?” There was smoke in the air. It seemed like every building was destroyed. It looked like the world you were used to, but that couldn’t be right. This wasn’t right. You felt your breath hitch as you turned to look at the aftermath of chaos around you. What the hell was going on? Where was everyone? Why was everything in pieces? “Five?” You asked again when you didn’t get an answer. You turned around to see that Five was considering your surroundings with a frown on his face. 

“It’s the future,” he answered.

***

You landed on your knees, the breath knocked out of you. You reached out a hand to steady yourself on the ground as you slowly pushed yourself up. The wind was blowing and you noticed that the color of your hair was no longer streaked with grey as it whipped around your face.

You stood fully and then turned around in a circle. "Five?" You called out. He wasn't there, though. It was raining and you realized that you were in the courtyard of the mansion. Five said he was sending you back home, but you didn't know what year it was or if Five was anywhere to be found. Did he drop somewhere else? Maybe he didn’t come through like he was supposed to. Maybe he was still stuck without you in Dallas. 

You felt overwhelmed and when you turned back around, you noticed the statue just a few feet away from where you standing. Your breath caught at the sight of it. You took a few steps closer, realizing that it must be a memorial statue for Ben. So, Ben was already gone. You had hoped that when Five mentioned sending you back, that you would come back to a time when Ben was alive. Five promised you it would be pre-apocalypse at the least. You had hoped to save Ben. He didn’t deserve death at such a young age. You reached out with a shaking hand to touch the base of the statue. You looked up at the solemn face that stared down at you. 

"I'm sorry," you whispered. You were crying by that point. You felt like you were about to fall apart. “I should have been there,” you continued. “I shouldn’t have left you.” You bowed your head, knowing that you would probably never see Ben again. “I should have been there,” you repeated. You felt like you were barely keeping it together. You were cold and shaking, but you couldn’t make yourself move. 

You had spent decades away from your family. You had come to rely on Five above everyone else. You felt bereft without him by your side. What were you supposed to do without him? He was supposed to be here with you, but he wasn’t. Five had planned on both of you jumping together. If he wasn’t here and stuck in Dallas, then you were truly on your own if you wanted a shot at preventing the apocalypse. You felt anxious at just the thought of taking on that responsibility on your own. 

You glanced back up at Ben’s statue, hating that you couldn’t actually talk to him now. You wanted to hear him tell you that it would all be okay. He would have told you that there was an answer to what was happening. Ben wasn’t there, though. He couldn’t tell you anything because he was gone. You couldn’t help but think that if the full team of the Umbrella Academy had been there that day, then maybe he would still be alive. 

You weren’t sure how long you stood there in front of the statue before you were interrupted in your thoughts of Ben and how you failed him. 

"If you do not leave the premises at once, then I will call the police!" 

You knew that you would recognize that voice anywhere. Sometimes, when you were having a nightmare that was completely your own, you would hear it telling you to keep training. 

"Did you hear me, young lady? I want you to vacate this property at once!" 

You felt like you were going to pass out as you turned to look at Reginald Hargreeves for the first time in forty-five years. You couldn’t help but think that he looked the same. You weren’t sure how long you had been gone in this timeline, but seeing your father look exactly the same as the day you left helped you calm down for just a moment. You still felt itchy all over and you wanted to throw up. Your hands were shaking and you felt a cold sweat break out on your face. You reached up with a hand to wipe away the tears from your eyes, blinking at the man who had formed you in your earlier years. 

“This is private property. You are not allowed to be here! Leave at once before I alert the authorities!” 

You shook your head, wrapping your arms around your stomach in an effort to stop shivering. Your clothes were soaked by now and your hair was sticking to your forehead. “Dad? It’s me,” you found yourself saying, even though you knew that he didn’t recognize you. “It’s Number Eight,” you clarified, watching his eyes widen in surprise for a moment before his expression shut down. 

“If you truly are Miss Y/N, then might I suggest you join us in the house?” You turned to see Pogo standing in the doorway that led back into the mansion. “I’m sure you would like to get out of the rain.” 

You nodded your head, not sure what else you could say at that moment. You felt like there were a million thoughts all clamoring for your attention as you followed your dad and Pogo back into the mansion you had left behind over four decades ago.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decided to make my own soundtrack, since Umbrella Academy is so influenced by music.  
> I've picked three songs that helped me write this chapter. Feel free to check them out.
> 
> Kings and Queens by 30 Seconds to Mars  
> Young and Doomed by Frank Iero and the Future Violents  
> Who Are You, Really? by Mikky Ekko 
> 
> I'm going to be alternating updating this fic with my Walking Dead fic so once I finish that next chapter, I should have chapter two on the way. I hope this is okay. I've been calling this one the 'Inception power,' in my mind for months. It's finally happening, so I'm hoping to put a cool spin on canon. Really nervous about this one, though. 
> 
> To clarify: The reader is showing up the same age as the other members of the Umbrella Academy. She's not showing up in her thirteen year old body like Five does on the show.


	2. Bring On the Rapture

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dark and kind of sad. You've been warned. 
> 
> First part of the chapter is always going to be the reader with Five. Second part will always be what's happening with Number Eight after they've come back.

"The future?" You asked, hesitant to know the answer. You turned to look at the scene all around you. You didn’t want to believe that this was the world you had spent the first thirteen years of your life knowing and living. This had to be a trick. An alternate dimension or something. "This can't be it," you muttered. "This isn't right," you started before you took off down the street. 

"Y/N! Where are you going?" Five called after you. 

"Home!" You answered, not bothering to stop and see if Five was following you or if he even heard your reply. You heard Five calling your name, but you didn’t dare wait for him to catch up. You had a sick, twisting feeling in the pit of your stomach and somehow you just _knew_. You knew that everything was gone. You almost weren’t surprised when you stopped in front of the Academy to see that it was no longer standing. 

You had never loved living there. You always thought about leaving. You always dreamed about the day you could tell your dad to fuck off and then go right out the front door with no intention of going back until you had to. You never liked that a lot of the time the Academy ended up feeling like a prison. But it was the only home you knew. You grew up there. You had a family there. It was the only place in the world that you could call yours. And it was gone. 

“Y/N,” Five whispered. He was standing right behind you. You turned and wrapped your arms around his waist, no longer wanting to look at the rubble of the place that was supposed to still be standing. 

You put your chin on Five’s shoulder, glancing around for something to distract you, when you saw the first body. You froze in Five’s arms. It couldn’t be him. The blonde hair and muscles could belong to anyone, you told yourself. It didn’t have to be him. 

Five noticed that something else was wrong. He let go of you and turned. You heard his breath catch as he slowly walked over to the body. Five knelt down beside the man and reached out to tentatively run his fingers over the man’s arm. 

“Is it?” You couldn’t help but ask. 

When Five nodded his head, you had to turn away. You had a rocky relationship with Luther, but you didn’t want him to be dead. This was a horrible future. You wanted to go home so fiercely that you were sure that you could somehow harness Five’s power and take the both of you back if you just tried hard enough. 

It was then that you spotted the second body. You didn’t want to know, but you had to check. You walked over to the second man and crouched beside the body. Just as you knew when you saw Luther, you were sure about the identity of this man as well. 

"This can't be them," you said, wanting to believe it. You were shaking as you reached out to grab the arm of the man before you. You had a sinking feeling in your gut that you were looking at Diego. You pulled up the sleeve of his shirt until you caught a glimpse of the umbrella tattooed into the skin of his left wrist. You tried to take a deep breath as you dropped his arm and then pulled away from his body. You felt like you couldn’t breathe, though. Your chest felt tight with the knowledge that you couldn’t fight your way out of this one. There was no mission. There was no villain right in front of you. You didn’t know what to do. 

You noticed that Five was still standing over Luther and staring down at something in his hand. You weren’t sure what had caught his attention, but you felt like something was tugging you along. You knew there were others. You wouldn’t be able to stop until you found them. 

It didn't take you long after that to find Allison. You sat by her for a few moments and brushed her hair away from her face. Like Luther, you weren’t as close to her. You wished that you had taken more time to get to know her. You wished you had barged into her room more often and demanded that she hang out with you. You never did, though. You felt breathless at the thought that you would never be able to fix that. 

When you stood up, you didn’t see anyone else. You felt hope for one moment that you wouldn't find Klaus. Surely he wasn't dead. Klaus saw the dead, he talked to them, but he wasn't one of them. You hoped that he was somehow still alive and out there somewhere. Maybe he was with the others. Where was Ben? Vanya? Grace or Pogo? If your dad was still alive in this future when the world ended, then where was he? Maybe the rest of them had somehow lived at the end of the world. You wanted to stop looking, but you felt driven to keep searching. There had to be answers here somewhere. 

You didn't want to look for the bodies of your family, but you had to know. Were you and Five really alone here? This couldn't be it, right? You kept glancing around, hoping you would never find another body. You should have known better, though. 

You noticed the hair first as you glanced around at the destruction all around you. Five was over by Diego, so you were the first to notice him. As you got closer, you hoped that it was a stranger. The last five minutes had exhausted you more than you had ever felt in your life. You didn't want to find someone else that you loved. You didn’t think that you could take it if you were right. But you knew. Deep down, without really having to think about it or get too close, you knew who it was once you were close enough to see him. 

"Oh no," you whispered as you fell to your knees beside the body. He was older, but you felt like you would always know Klaus. Maybe it was his hair. Maybe it was his eyes that were still open and unseeing. Maybe it was his clothes. You had spent so much time with him that you felt like you would be able to recognize him no matter what. There was no doubt in your mind that the body before you was Klaus. 

Seeing Klaus was what broke you. You felt the tears in your eyes. You felt your throat close up. You felt the wash of cold fear that threatened to take you down. 

“You weren’t supposed to die,” you told him, wishing that he would get up and pretend that it was all some sick prank. Maybe the others were in on it. Maybe Allison had altered your perception. Maybe they were jealous that you time-traveled with Five. Maybe, you couldn’t help but tell yourself, you could sit here in denial until whatever took the world took you too. 

“Y/N,” Five whispered. You turned to see him staring at Klaus’ body in horror. His hand was outstretched, as if he wanted to try to comfort you, but he didn’t quite know what to do. 

“Take us back,” you growled at him. You felt restless and hopeless. There was anger and fury surging through you. You were upset. You felt betrayed by Five’s powers. Not by Five, but by the fact that his power had brought the both of you here. This was quite possibly your worst nightmare. It was like nothing you had witnessed in the minds of others. This was real and enough to knock the breath out of you. “Take us back!” You yelled as you got up and walked over to Five. You grabbed his arm, meeting his gaze. “Now,” you demanded. 

Five nodded his head and closed his eyes. You weren‘t sure that you had ever witnessed Five as visibly shaken as he was now. You saw his hands trembling as he brought them up. There was a flash of blue light, but nothing else happened. “I can’t,” he said with a frown. 

“Try again,” you begged. “Please, Five. Don’t leave us here.” Don’t leave us here with _them_ , you wanted to say. You didn’t want to be stuck in a future where your loved ones were dead. You didn’t want to be here at the end of everything. You wanted to go back and figure out what the hell happened. You wanted to tell Luther that you were sorry for every fight. You wanted to ask Diego to let you watch him train again. You wanted to pull Allison aside and tell her that you wanted to know her favorite color or something equally seemingly unimportant. You wanted to tell Klaus that you weren’t going to let him out of your sight ever again. You didn’t even want to consider the possibility that Ben and Vanya were dead. It was just too much in that moment. 

You watched as Five tried again and again, but nothing happened. He slumped his shoulders and gave you a defeated look. “I’m sorry,” he offered with a shake of his head. 

“I know,” you said with a nod, understanding everything that Five wasn’t saying. He couldn’t use his power. You were stuck here. “It’s not fair,” you choked out on a sob, feeling the horror of the moment creep up on you. It was likely that you were the only people left alive. Maybe there was someone, somewhere, but it didn’t matter. Most of your family and loved ones were right here and they weren’t getting back up again. 

Five pulled you away from Klaus and made you sit on the sidewalk further down the street. You both sat in silence for a while, both traumatized by everything you witnessed. 

Once you calmed down, you finally forced yourself to speak what was on your mind. "We're going to bury them," you told Five, breaking the silence. 

"Y/N-" Five started, but you held up a hand to stall his argument. 

"This is our family, Five. I know you're thinking the same thing. They deserve a burial. They deserve something here, Five. They must have put their lives on the line to save the world." 

"They failed," Five commented. You knew he didn't mean it in a cruel way. It was simply an observation for him. You knew that he was already calculating all of the ways that the end of the world could have happened. He was trying to figure out what went wrong. He was trying to think of ways in which the others could have failed to come together in time to stop whatever brought about the apocalypse. 

“We have to,” you told him, knowing that the conversation was all over the place, but Five would understand you. You had to bury them. You had to hide them away and protect them from the elements. You had to do something and if you were stuck here, then you didn’t want to walk around knowing that you could stumble across your dead loved ones if you weren’t paying attention to where you were going. 

It took you both a day and a half to dig the graves and lay Luther, Diego, Allison, and Klaus to rest. Once they were all out of your sight, the dirt and pile of rocks designating their graves, you collapsed to the ground. 

“Hey, it’s going to be okay,” Five told you. “I’ll get us back home.” 

You glanced at him over your shoulder. Five had been routinely trying to jump back into the past at least once an hour. He said it felt like his power was blocked. He said something was wrong. You could tell that he felt responsible for this. It wasn’t his fault, though. Whatever caused the destruction of the world as you knew it had nothing to do with Five. You would figure it out. If there was a chance that you could go back in time and fix this, then you wanted to be prepared. You just weren‘t sure how you were going to accomplish that, though. 

“Are you sure about that?” You couldn’t help but ask. 

Five’s silence was all the answer you needed.

***

You were curled up on the couch in the living room, staring at the portrait of Five above the fireplace. You wondered if Hargreeves had made one for you too. You always suspected that he liked Five more, though. Five’s power was useful. You only gave people bad dreams. You felt a smirk twist onto your face. If only he knew what you could truly do with your power.

“Number Eight,” your dad called from the entryway. 

You turned to consider him, blinking at the sight of Grace standing with him. It had been so long since you saw her. You marveled at the idea that she looked the same. You, however, looked like you were in your late twenties. Pogo had suggested you take a warm shower while the others were contacted and you obeyed. You had spent minutes in front of the mirror, frowning at your reflection. You knew you had lived to see your fifty-eighth birthday. And yet, here you were, looking like you weren’t a day over thirty years old. Time had erased the worry lines. It had vanished the grey streaks in your hair. The only proof you had that you had really lived through everything was the haunted expression on your face. A lot had happened to you after you left the house with Five all those years ago, and most of it didn’t even have to do with the apocalypse. 

Now, staring at your father and mother, you couldn’t help but wonder how things had changed while you were gone. The mansion that had once been host to seven children, an eccentric and cruel old man, a talking monkey, and an android that pretended to be a mother no longer offered that. One of the children was dead. One was possibly stuck in time. The others obviously no longer lived here. And you? You were sitting here on the couch in the living room and trying to figure out what the hell had gone wrong. It was already all fucked up. No more team. No more Umbrella Academy. No more heroes to save the world. It was just an empty nest. 

“Number Eight, I have informed the others of your arrival. I’m sure we will see at least one of your siblings shortly.” He turned to glance at Grace and shared a look with her. You wondered what was going on. “I’m sure everything will fall into place just in time,” you heard him mutter. 

You wanted to ask what he meant by that. You were just so tired, though. You didn’t feel like talking at all. You had been through a lot in the time that you were gone. It wasn’t even surviving for decades during the apocalypse that got to you. It was everything after. It was the blood and torture that came with supposed salvation. It was all of the painful memories that left you unwilling to use your powers now. You didn’t want to be here, because in a way, you felt tainted. This was the house of your childhood and you were no longer a child. You felt like you didn’t belong here. 

You heard the front door slam open and flinched at the sound. 

“Where is she?” You heard a man ask. 

When you glanced up, it was to see a man standing there in the doorway. He was wearing what looked like a stealth suit and had knives secured in holsters at his thigh and sides. You knew this had to be Diego. You flashed back for just a moment to finding his body. You tamped down the despair that threatened to take over for a moment. He was here in front of you and he wasn’t dead. You told yourself that a few times before you started to believe it. 

“Y/N?” He asked as he walked over towards you. He crouched down on the floor in front of you and then reached out to wrap his fingers around your left wrist. His thumb brushed over the umbrella tattooed there. 

You had to fight the urge to flinch away from his touch. You nodded your head in answer, not sure what to say. 

Diego offered you a relieved grin as he pulled you into a hug. Once upon a time, Diego had been one of your favorite people in the world. As you slowly relaxed into the hug, you couldn’t help but think that he was still one of your favorite people. Maybe you didn’t know him now, but you were sure he was still the same guy that watched your back on missions and told you he wasn’t scared of your power even when you were terrified and wary of it. 

“Where the hell were you? How did you get back? Was Five with you?” He asked as he pulled away from you. 

You blinked at him, trying to process all of the answers you could give. You didn’t say anything, though. You weren’t sure where to start. If you started talking, then what would come out? Without Five, what were you supposed to do? You had crafted a plan to research and figure things out, but that plan had relied on the two of you being together. What did you do without him? 

You weren’t even aware of the fact that you were shaking until Diego began to rub his hands up and down your arms. “Are you cold?” He turned to look at Grace where she was still standing in the doorway of the living room. “Can you get her a blanket, Mom?” 

Grace smiled and nodded as she turned to leave. You noticed that your dad and Pogo were no longer in sight. 

“Y/N,” Diego called, pulling your attention back to him. “What happened?” 

You opened your mouth, not sure how to answer, when you heard the sound of the front door opening again. 

“Vanya,” Diego said when a woman entered the room. 

“Is this her?” Vanya asked as she glanced at you. “It’s really Y/N?” 

“Check out her tattoo,” Diego told her, nodding down at the umbrella forever inked into the skin of your left wrist. “Besides, just look at her. Can’t you tell?” 

Vanya studied you for a few moments before she moved forward. You watched her as she got closer before she sat down beside you on the couch. “I missed you so much, Y/N,” Vanya told you before she pulled you into a hug. 

Diego snorted. “Yeah. I’m real sure you missed the opportunity to spill all her secrets to the public. But hey, I’m sure you’ll get your material for the sequel now.” 

You frowned up at Diego, wondering why he was ruining your reunion with Vanya. 

Diego must have mistaken your annoyance for confusion, though. “Oh, while you were gone, Vanya here decided to write a tell-all book about the family. Want to know what she said about you?” 

“Not now, Diego,” Grace said as she walked back into the room. She had a blanket in her arms that she spread over you once she was standing in front of you. “Your sister has obviously been through a lot. It will not help her if you start anything right now.” 

Diego rolled his eyes, but didn’t mention anything else about the book. “Sure, Mom,” he agreed. 

There was a tension between Vanya and Diego, though. You figured that there must have been some sort of falling out and the book was a point of contention, but you weren’t sure if that was all of it. 

“Allison is on the phone and wishes to speak with you, Y/N. Are you up for that?” Grace informed you. There was something about Grace that unnerved you now. She reminded you a bit too much of someone else, you thought, but you weren’t going to dwell on that for now. 

You weren’t sure about talking to Allison. Everything felt like such a shock. You didn’t know if you were going to be able to keep up with everything. You finally shrugged your shoulders and followed Grace to the phone, the blanket wrapped around your shoulders. Vanya followed, but you noticed that Diego stayed behind. 

Grace led you to the phone just outside the kitchen. She picked up the receiver. “Allison? Yes. Here’s your sister,” Grace said before she handed the phone to you. You stared down at it in your hand for a minute. You weren’t even sure how you were supposed to have a conversation right now. 

You felt Vanya touch your arm before she took the phone from you. “Allison? It’s Vanya.” 

Vanya was giving you a look like she understood. Sweet, careful Vanya was looking at you like she knew just what was going on in your mind and for a moment you wondered if she somehow manifested a power of mind reading before she smiled at you. No. That was just Vanya. She had always been able to read you. 

“She’s really here,” Vanya said with hints of relief and disbelief in her tone. “It’s Y/N.” Vanya listened to Allison’s response and frowned. “You can’t be serious.” She sighed and shook her head. “No, you should tell her yourself.” Vanya pulled the phone away from her ear and handed it to you. “I’m right here,” she promised you. “It’ll be okay.” 

You nodded your head and took the phone. It took you a few tries to say anything. “Allison,” you finally managed to get out. 

“Y/N? Is that you?” 

“Yeah,” you said, meeting Vanya’s gaze. “It’s me.” 

“Oh my God. I can’t believe it’s really you! I missed you so much.” You couldn’t help but smile at Allison’s excitement. “Are you okay? Where were you?” 

You stayed silent, knowing that there was nothing you could really say right now that would fully answer that question. “Away,” you finally managed after a few moments of awkward silence. 

“Oh,” Allison said, sounding as if she wasn’t sure how to reply to that. “So, I don’t know if Vanya told you, but I’m in L.A. working on a movie right now. I’m not going to be able to catch a flight out there until we wrap. You understand, right?” 

There was a bitter retort on the tip of your tongue. If you were Allison and your sister, who had been gone since you were thirteen, suddenly reappeared, then you would drop everything to see her. You weren’t sure what you expected, but you felt like you should have known better. It didn’t matter to you, though. You didn’t need Allison in that moment. You needed to see someone else. “Yeah,” you agreed. “Goodbye, Allison,” you said as you hung up the phone, suddenly understanding why Vanya had been so upset just a few moments ago. 

You brushed past Vanya and walked back to the living room, dropping down onto the couch. Diego was sitting in a chair by the fireplace, but he turned to give you his full attention when he realized you were back in the room. 

“Let me guess,” Diego started. “She can’t leave her movie.” 

Vanya nodded her head. She was leaning against the entryway to the living room. “Got it in one.” 

“And Luther is on his little Moon mission,” Diego added. “I doubt we’ll see him around here any time soon.” 

You were sure it was true, but the thought still stung. You understood that it would be a bit more difficult for Luther to come see you, but you couldn’t get the image of his dead body out of your mind. You longed to see Allison and Luther so that you could prove to yourself that they were still alive. Neither of them were the one you were most interested in seeing, though. “Klaus,” you found yourself saying. “Where is he?” 

Vanya and Diego shared a look and you were suddenly worried. You thought maybe he was in another state or country. Maybe it wouldn’t be as simple as hopping into a car and driving down the road to see him. That would be okay, though. You would make the trip. 

Finally, Diego huffed out a frustrated breath and turned to consider you. “He’s in jail,” he answered. 

“Jail? For what?” 

Diego glanced at Vanya again. You turned to see Vanya wince at your attention. “Possession,” she finally answered. “Petty theft. A few other things.” 

You thought that over for a moment. You hated the thought of Klaus all locked up. He needed to be free. First the Academy and now an actual prison. You hoped he got out soon. “Can I see him?” 

Diego sighed and nodded his head. “I’ll take you by there tomorrow.” 

The thought of tomorrow snagged at your mind. You didn’t even know what year or month Five had dropped you into and you couldn’t believe it wasn’t your first question upon arriving back. Time was limited, wasn’t it? Diego looked almost the same as when you found his body all those years ago. The apocalypse was nigh and it wouldn’t pay to forget that. 

“What day is it?” 

“Monday,” Diego answered with a frown. 

“The date,” you clarified. “Month. Day. Year.” 

“October first,” Vanya answered. “2018,” she added when you glanced at her expectantly. 

Six months. You had six months until the end of the world. You felt relieved and nervous at the same time. What if that wasn’t enough? You had very little information to go on. Five was the one with the plans. Would you be able to figure it all out by yourself? You were hoping Five would show up right at that moment when Diego offered you a smile and broke your concentration. 

“Happy birthday, sis.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I watched season 3 of Stranger Things yesterday and I have all these feelings. I've already started a reader insert fix-it fic for that, so I'm going to be throwing that one into the rotation with this fic and my Walking Dead fic. If you're interested, then please be on the lookout for it! 
> 
> Songs for this chapter:  
> The Kids Aren't Alright by Fall Out Boy  
> Oh, What a Life by American Authors


	3. Time Is Never Time At All

You wouldn’t say that you really got used to life during the apocalypse, but you certainly did your best to adapt. Your dad had always found Five’s ability to adapt to a situation remarkable. You, however, had never been able to adapt as quickly as Five. You needed time to deal with the fact that you were most likely never going to see your other siblings again. There would be no more Mom. No more Reginald Hargreeves lectures about how you weren’t using your ability to your full potential. No more Pogo to try to put a logical spin on things or watching you and your siblings for the first sign of trouble. 

There would be no more Luther trying to be a leader. There would be no more Diego resenting Luther for being a leader. There would be no more Allison using her ability to get her way. There would be no more Klaus sneaking drugs at the breakfast table or lighting things on fire for fun. There would be no more Ben silently judging you and the others for all of your crazy antics, even though he secretly enjoyed them. There would be no more Vanya on the outskirts of the group, obviously wanting to fit in, but feeling like she didn’t because she didn’t have a power. 

You missed them all so much that you could barely hide the fact that you cried yourself to sleep every night for weeks. Five slept with his back to you, but sometimes, when you couldn’t quite hide the fact that you were upset, he would reach out to curl his fingers around your wrist. It helped you to know that you weren’t alone. You couldn’t even imagine how much more fucked up the situation would be if you had to go through everything in solitude.

You and Five never left the city. Everything felt too big and empty. You both decided that it was best to stick to the city that you knew, even if it looked completely different now. You looked for Griddy’s, but it was gone. Petrola’s seemed to have burned down as well. Half the buildings you were so used to seeing around the city were no more and it threw you off to think that this was the place you had always known. It didn’t matter how much time you spent there, you never quite grew used to seeing everything gone and ruined. 

Food was scarce. The smell of smoke was everywhere you went. All you had was Five and while you loved him, there were certainly days when you wanted to walk away and possibly never come back. What got to you most was the silence, though. You had spent years of your life in the mansion, listening to the others talking or your dad giving orders. You missed the rest of your family so terribly that some nights you’d fall asleep holding onto Five’s arm, worried that you would wake up alone.

It wasn’t easy foraging for food and trying to find clothing that would fit you and keep you warm. Most of the items you and Five discovered were mostly destroyed. You had to check every place you came across, since resources were few and far between.

One day, not long into your stay in the apocalypse, you and Five came across the shell of a department store. 

You noticed that part of the sign was still visible and not reduced to rubble. 

“Gimbel Brothers,” you muttered to yourself. “Think they’ll have anything?” You turned and asked Five, watching his eyes surveying the damage to the store.

“Won’t know until we look,” Five answered before he stepped carefully over one pile of rubble. He brushed dust off his hands before he picked up a piece of cloth on the ground. He held it up, squinting at it, before he shook his head and dropped it.

You were relieved to discover that there were still a few pieces of clothing that were salvageable. Five even found a knife, which would definitely come in handy when you found canned food. You expected to find other little odds and ends to add to the wagon you and Five had started taking around with you, but you definitely didn’t think that Five would walk away with a mannequin.

“What the hell, Five? It’s going to take up all of our space.” You gestured towards where the mannequin was almost falling out of the wagon. “How are we going to take our stuff with us now?”

“We’ll find a bigger wagon.” He paused and then glanced over at the mannequin. “And _her_ name is Delores.”

“Delores,” you repeated, wondering if maybe Five had suffered from some kind of mental break. 

Five nodded his head and then turned towards the mannequin, muttering something under his breath to it. 

“Did you hit your head?” You couldn’t help but ask. You remembered your dad saying something about the effects of time travel on the body and mind. Maybe you didn’t notice it before since there had been so much going on, but it was possible that Five had lost his mind. 

For the rest of the day, you carefully watched Five. Besides having the occasional bout of conversation with Delores, you didn’t notice anything alarming. As more days passed by, you even got used to it. You thought that in the grand scheme of things, if Five wanted an imaginary friend, then you wouldn’t deny him that. Even though you both had each other, it was still incredibly lonely. 

Still, one day you couldn’t help but ask Five about Delores. “Why do you need her?” You noticed the way he guarded her and seemed to take care of her, even though you didn’t think there was anything she could possibly need. You ended up listening to some of the late-night one-sided conversations he shared with her, wondering if he could truly hear her responses. 

Five simply shrugged his shoulders. “There’s some things I can share with her that I can’t share with you.”

You wondered if you should tell him that you still heard most of everything he told the mannequin, but you stopped yourself. Maybe Five needed a different confidante than the person he had grown up thinking of as a sister. Maybe he needed someone, even if they couldn’t talk back and weren’t real, to spill all of his secrets to. In a way, you completely understood. If you could pull anyone into this hellscape of a future with you, then you would have wanted Klaus. He had always been the one person to try to understand you. He was the one you spilled your secrets to and now that you didn’t have him, you felt like there was an emptiness inside of you. You had promised him that you would be right back and you broke that promise. Now, Klaus was dead and you were growing up at the end of everything. If Five had that with Delores, then you couldn’t begrudge him that. Even if it only served to make you feel even more lonely. 

You both had to find ways to entertain yourselves. You played games or told each other stories. You would go hunting for books to read to each other to pass the time. It was made even better when you stumbled across the remains of the town library. It seemed that enough of the structure had survived to provide you with a decent enough shelter, so you and Five agreed to make it your new home.   
When you were truly bored and didn’t feel like sifting through any rubble in search of a book, you played truth or dare with Five and Delores. You treasured those moments, because it was when you found out information about Five that you were sure no one had even known before. Well, except for Delores. 

You were staring up at the sky through the holes in the library’s roof. If you squinted, then you could just make out the stars that still dared to shine. 

“Truth or dare,” you told Five. 

He was silent for a few moments before he sighed. “Dare.”

You couldn’t help the grin that stretched across your face. “Alright. Remember that Twinkie we found a few days ago?”

“The one that we found hidden beneath the floorboards of that house with the red door?” Five asked as if there was more than one Twinkie in question. 

You nodded your head, thinking that it had probably been a coveted treat of some kid who wanted to hide it from their siblings. “I dare you to eat it.”

Five groaned and sat up to rifle through the bag of food you both had been adding to for months. It didn’t have much, but you figured you could pass on the Twinkie. It looked old and the dessert had been squished at some point until most of the white filling was peeking through the golden cake sides. 

Five scrunched his face up in distaste before he opened the packaging. “Sure you don’t want a bite of this?”

You shook your head. “Nope. It’s all yours.”

You watched as Five wolfed the sponge cake down. He gagged at one point, and you wanted to call the dare off, but you couldn’t help but think that Five was stubborn and probably wouldn’t listen to you anyways. 

Five stuck the rest of the Twinkie into his mouth and showed you his empty hands, as if proving that he had really finished it off. 

“Truth or dare,” Five said once he finished the Twinkie, lying back down on the ground next to you.

You thought it over for a moment, thinking of the truly terrible things Five could dare you to do. “Truth,” you answered, momentarily fearing any retribution Five would have planned. 

Five turned to look at Delores. “You think so?” He nodded his head, listening to whatever he heard from her. “Alright.” He turned to look at you. “Who was your first kiss?”

You frowned, not really wanting to answer. “How do you know I’ve kissed anyone?”

Five raised an eyebrow at that. “Have you?”

“Yes,” you replied. “But it’s not like I went around telling everyone about it.”

“So who was it?”

You sighed, knowing that you wouldn’t be able to get out of this one. Five looked a bit green in the face after eating that Twinkie, and now you were worried he’d be puking for the rest of the night. You figured you at least owed him an honest answer. 

“I kissed Klaus.” You closed your eyes, knowing that Five would have something to say about that.

“I knew it!” He yelled, nudging you in the side. “You were acting weird around him on that last mission.”

“I kissed Diego too,” you couldn’t help but add, knowing that you might as well offer the full truth.

“Okay, I didn’t know that.” Five pushed himself up until he was leaning on his elbow, staring at you. “How did any of that happen?”

You shrugged your shoulders. “Well, Klaus is one of my best friends. Allison and Luther had kissed and we wanted to see what the big deal was,” you said, glancing over at Five. “And Diego kissed me after that last mission. I don’t know why.”

Five rolled his eyes. “So you’re pining after Klaus and Diego is pining after you. That damn mansion is a hormone factory.”

“What? Diego is not pining after me!”

Five smirked at you. “Notice you didn’t deny pining after Klaus.”

You rolled your eyes. “Yeah, well, if you know, then why should I deny it?”

Five groaned, clutching at his stomach. “That Twinkie is not settling well.” He pushed himself up until he was standing. “Excuse me,” he muttered before he wandered away out of sight. You winced at the sound of Five throwing up, sharing a look with Delores.

“He could have picked truth,” you told her, rolling over until your back was to her. The last thing you needed was Delores judging you for putting Five through his current torture. 

As more time passed, you began to come to terms with the fact that this was your life. There wasn’t much you could do to upset the routine you settled into with Five. After so long, you weren’t sure that you _wanted_ to do anything to unsettle the routine. You would hunt down food with Five. You would go back to the shell of the library and catalog everything you managed to scrounge up from buildings all over town. You would find books to read and read again when you ran out of new material. Once, when you found a mostly intact book of crossword puzzles, you and Five took turns answering the clues, trying to make the book last for as long as possible. The more you got used to hunting for food, sleeping in the library, and finding anything to entertain yourselves, the more you thought that you could live out the rest of your life like this if Five never managed to get his powers to work again. It was a terrifying thought. 

When Five found a copy of Vanya’s book, you almost couldn’t believe it. Quiet, unassuming Vanya had enough nerve to publish a book spilling the family secrets. Since it seemed like you both had all the time in the world, you tried to make the book last as long as possible. It felt like a connection to the real world again. Sometimes, living during the apocalypse felt like one surreal, drawn-out nightmare to you. The book offered you and Five a glimpse into your forgotten future. It was the future you should have had with the others, but were denied. 

You hated to hear about how the family split up. It hurt to know that Vanya never felt like she was truly a part of the family. You wished you were there to tell her that she was just as much a Hargreeves as any of you. It didn’t matter to you that she didn’t have a power. She was your sister and she should have known that. Apparently, the disappearance of you and Five was just the first dent in the family’s armor. 

It was difficult to hear that Allison packed up and left to become a movie star. Diego left as soon as he could too, his disdain for the family clear in the way that he never kept in contact with anyone or bothered to associate with them. He tried to become a cop, but Vanya said he washed out of the academy. Luther was still trying to be a part of the Umbrella Academy, but he was mostly acting alone. You couldn’t help but wonder why he was still trying to lead a team that no longer existed. 

Hearing about Klaus’ descent into drugs hurt you more than words could describe. You remembered the lovely boy who held onto Allison and comforted her when your father forced you all to get an umbrella tattooed on your left wrist. You remembered the boy you shared your first kiss with, the way he was so hesitant and nervous, which threw you for a loop. The Klaus you remembered was kind and gentle, even when he was seemingly pushing people away. You had seen him rolling joints before, but from what Vanya had described in her book, it seemed that he was into all kinds of different drugs now. It hurt you and you couldn’t help but wonder if you had been there for him, then maybe he wouldn’t have turned down that path. Maybe, if you had been there to help shield him from whatever fucked up training regime your father put Klaus through, you could have helped him. It sounded like Klaus had lived a lonely life as well, despite the string of relationships Vanya hinted at, and you hated everything about the situation so fiercely that sometimes you could barely breathe at the thought. 

Five was the one reading when Vanya mentioned Ben’s death. You weren’t sure what was going on at first, but when Five went silent, you looked up at him. 

“What is it?”

Five shook his head, his eyes starting to tear up. You sat up, reaching out for him. Five handed you the book, turning until he wasn’t looking at you. You frowned and scanned the page that Five was on.

You couldn’t comprehend what you were reading at first, so you read the page again. And again. And again.

“Well, it has to be wrong, right? It can’t be true.” Out of everything you had read so far about the destruction of your family, this was the thing you couldn’t comprehend happening. 

“Y/N,” Five started, still not looking at you. “Ben’s body wasn’t there with the others. It must have been because he died years earlier.”

“No,” you tried to deny. “It’s wrong.” You knew it must have been true, though. The others were dead now, but you still hoped for a day when Five could get his powers to work so you could save them. There were days when he feverishly worked on the equations, muttering to Delores with his head bent over scraps of paper he tore from books. You weren’t sure what the numbers meant, but you knew that Five did. That was all of the hope you needed to know that he would eventually make his way back to the others. Now, though, it hurt to know that you weren’t there when Ben would have needed you the most. You couldn’t help but think that if you were there, with your power, then maybe you could have done something. You could have helped him. You could have saved him.

It seemed that time travel had robbed you and Five of many things, including keeping your family together. 

You blinked, trying to ignore the tears that were starting to fall down your face. You closed the book and set it down on the ground between you and Five. You tried to take a deep breath, but it caught in your throat. You felt like you were going to choke and you put your face in yours hands, trying to get control over yourself and your breathing. 

You felt Five’s hand on your shoulder and you almost wanted to shake it off, but you curled into him, letting him comfort you. 

After a few minutes, you pulled away, wiping away the tears on your face with your hands. “Are you okay?”

Five was quiet for a few seconds before he nodded his head. “We should have been there. It’s my fault. I’m sorry.”

You shook your head and pulled Five back into a hug. “We’ll go back and fix it. You’ll get us back there and we’ll fix it,” you promised. You weren’t sure if it was true, but it was the only thing you could hope for in that moment.

Five took a deep breath and then pulled away from you. He reached out to pick the book back up. “Want me to keep reading?”

You shook your head. You didn’t want to hear about the aftermath of Ben’s death. You could only assume that it tore the family apart even more. You didn’t want to make Five read about that now, though. “Let’s just go to sleep.”

As more years passed, you and Five got used to your life in the apocalypse. It was difficult. There were still nights when you cried yourself to sleep. Even when you hit your twenties, thirties, and forties, you still clung to the hope that you would make it back to the others. You craved your family and you wanted nothing more than to save them all. 

There were tense moments when you were jealous that Five had Delores and you only had Five. You spent many nights watching your surroundings, listening for any signs that there was someone out there with you that had never been touched by the apocalypse. It was useless, though. Nothing had survived.

As you aged, you grew to think that you could die in the future. As your hair turned grey and your body got older, there was a part of your mind that was forever stuck in the past. You felt like you could never quite move on from the hope that Five would figure out how to get the both of you back home. There was another part of you that was sure you would never make it back. You wanted to have faith in Five, but you couldn’t deny that there was the very real possibility that he would never manage to get you both back to the day you left. 

You should have known he would eventually figure it out, but it wasn’t before The Handler got her hooks into the both of you.

***

Diego led you into the kitchen and asked Mom to make you something to eat. You weren’t hungry, but you knew that Diego felt like he needed to take care of you. After everything you had been through, maybe it wouldn’t be so terrible to have someone look out for you since Five wasn’t here. You had been so used to watching his back at every move and having him return the favor, that you didn’t know what to do without him.

You felt like the only other person who could probably help you feel better was Klaus, but he wasn’t there. You wouldn’t be able to see him until the next day. You wanted to see him right at that moment, though. You wanted to make sure that he was okay. Vanya’s book had terrified you and left you heartbroken at the thought of Klaus resorting to drugs to deal with his demons. Leaving him to that fate was only one of your numerous regrets.

Your dad had reappeared and was now sitting at the head of the kitchen table with his journal open. He was watching you, but his hand was steadily moving across the page, scrawling notes about whatever he was observing. You hated that you had been gone for sixteen years and fifty-eight years and Reginald Hargreeves was still the same. You felt your jaw clench and you wished that you could yell at him. You didn’t trust him. After everything you had been through, dealing with some of the worst types of people imaginable, you learned to take the full measure of someone within moments of meeting them. Coming back, you realized that you didn’t fully know what Reginald Hargreeves was up to now. He was watching you closely and yet he was continuously taking down notes in his journal. You wanted to rip the journal away from him and set it on fire. Instead, you turned your attention back to Diego.

He was sitting beside you, his body turned towards you. Vanya was sitting across from you, watching you with a concerned expression.

“Y/N,” Diego started, reaching out to put his hand on your arm. “Where were you?”

You glanced down at the table, not meeting his gaze. You didn’t know what to say. You weren’t sure what you _could_ say. How easy would it go over if you were to just blurt out: ‘Oh, the apocalypse is in six months. Don’t worry, I have next to nothing to go on about how it starts or why. Oh yeah, and you all died.’ Besides, you didn’t know if you could say anything with Hargreeves here. You weren’t sure if you could trust him. You knew about his fate as well, but what good would it do to tell him about his untimely demise just a week before the apocalypse? There were so many pieces that didn’t add up to you. You couldn’t help but wish that you had the bigger picture to look at it, because without it, you were lost. 

“What happened to you and Five?”

You bit your lip, still not looking at Diego. You knew that if you took one glance at his wide, earnest eyes, then you would crack. The Diego you remembered could be a real jackass sometimes, but he was also caring. You didn’t want to keep ignoring him, but you had to at the moment. You didn’t feel safe mentioning anything about the apocalypse or time-travel or the Temps Commission. You didn’t feel safe at all.

“Where is Five, Y/N? Is he alive?”

You felt like you at least should answer that one. Still, all you did was shrug your shoulders, glancing quickly at your dad. He was still making his notes and you had no clue what he was writing in his journal. What could he possibly be observing about you now? Or were his notes about something else entirely? You got the feeling that he knew more about what was happening than he let on and it set you on edge that he could probably read everything about you from just a glance. You couldn’t help but feel like he was dangerous. 

“Damn it, Y/N!” Diego yelled, slamming his fist into the table. “Why won’t you talk to me?”

“Diego, dear, why don’t you let your sister eat in peace?” Grace set down a plate in front of you. You weren’t hungry, but you still grabbed the sandwich, taking a bite so that your mouth would be full and Diego wouldn’t expect you to talk. 

Diego rolled his eyes and sat back in his chair. “You’re going to talk to me, Y/N,” Diego said, settling you with a look as if daring you to argue. 

You didn’t say anything, but met Vanya’s gaze from where she was still staring at you across the table. You offered her a quick smile before you went back to your food. 

After your dad left to go back to his study, you followed Diego and Vanya back into the living room. Mom had retired for the night, leaving you with a kiss to your forehead and a promise to make you eggs and bacon in the morning. You weren’t sure where Pogo had gone, but you were sure that he was asleep. You felt like if you closed your eyes, then you could easily slip into his dreams, no longer needing to be asleep to dream-walk. You didn’t want to use your power, though. It made you sick to even think of using your power again. 

You stayed silent while Vanya and Diego talked, their voices kept low as if even now as adults, they didn’t want to disturb their father in his study. You smirked at the thought, wondering if they were even aware of it. 

“Well,” Vanya started. “I guess I should head back home.” She stood up from the couch, watching you for a moment. “I’ll come by in the morning,” she promised.

You watched her leave before you turned to Diego. “Are you heading off too?”

Diego settled back onto the couch, moving until he was lying down. He kicked his feet up on the armrest and folded his arms underneath his head. “Figured I’d spend the night here. Keep an eye on you.”

“I’m an adult, you know,” you reminded him, moving to mirror his pose on the opposite couch. 

“I know,” Diego said before he smirked at you. “But you just got back and I’m not too eager to let you out of my sight again.”

You narrowed your eyes up at the ceiling, wanting to argue, but knowing that it was useless. You had plans for the night, but you wouldn’t get anything done if Diego suspected you of leaving the second he turned his attention away from you. 

You waited until Diego went to sleep to sneak out of the house. You didn’t want to use your power on him, since you knew that he would know immediately what you had done. If you wanted to get out of the house and not have Diego come after you once he woke up, then he would have to sleep naturally. Besides, the thought of using your power on Diego made you feel unsettled. It was a weapon and you would never use it against someone you loved. 

Once you left the mansion, you weren’t sure where you were going, but you knew that there would be other people to ask. It wasn’t like you were still stuck in the apocalypse. All you had to do was flag someone down and ask them what you wanted to know. 

The problem with that was that you really didn’t want to approach a stranger. You still felt uncertain here. You didn’t really know anyone. Sure, there was Diego and Vanya. You knew your dad and Grace. Hell, Pogo was even somewhat familiar to you. But you didn’t really _know_ them. Not anymore. Not like you did with Five. You felt so alone and you knew that if you couldn’t have Five or Klaus with you, then there was someone just as sure to help you feel like you could gain your footing here in 2018. 

It took you a couple of hours to find someone and walk to your intended destination. You were sure that at any moment, someone would realize that you weren’t meant to be here and would somehow report you to the Temps Commission. It wasn’t like they had been smart enough to stick a tracker in your arm. They thought Five was the higher priority. They falsely assumed that you wouldn’t be caught dead without Five to back you up, so they said they weren’t going to waste the resources it would take to track you.

“Stupid,” you muttered, even though it did work out in your favor. Sooner or later, they would realize that you were out of your designated time. They would come for you. You just didn’t know _when_.

“6045 Vanderbilt,” you kept repeating to yourself, feeling relief when you finally spotted the sign for ‘Gimbel Brothers Department Store.’ During the apocalypse, everything looked different. Most buildings were gone. The ones that remained were shells of their former selves. Gimbel Brothers looked different with its windows still intact and a door to walk through. 

You were thankful that Gimbel Brothers wasn’t fully up to date on their security system. It was easy to slip into the building in the middle of the night and walk right up to where Delores was standing in the middle of the store. 

“Hey Delores,” you whispered. “No, Five isn’t here,” you answered. “But I’m going to take you home with me.”

It was surprisingly effortless to tuck Delores into a duffel bag you found in the store and haul her out of there. You tried not to arouse suspicion as you made your way back to the mansion. You didn’t have money for a taxi, so you had to walk. You found it refreshing to be alone again. As you walked, you talked to Delores, keeping up a commentary on where you were and what you saw. You told her about how different everything looked when it wasn’t on fire or reduced to wreckage. 

You couldn’t take her out of the bag just yet, but once you got back to the mansion, you would set her up in your old room. It felt nice to have someone with you who could understand some of what you were going through right now. Delores was a little piece of what you had endured with Five and having her back in your presence made you feel like you were back on even ground. You weren’t crazy. It did all happen. You would have to find a way to change everything, which you weren’t sure you could do without Five, but maybe having Delores back would help you keep calm. 

You managed to get back to the mansion just as the sun was starting to light up the sky. You thought you were being quiet and sneaky, but the second you walked into the foyer, you heard Diego calling your name from the living room. You glanced over to see him sitting on the edge of a cushion on the same couch he was sleeping on earlier. Vanya was back, her expression worried as she turned to look at you. 

Diego stood up and crossed the room until he was standing just in front of you. “Where the hell were you?”

“Out,” you answered, trying to brush past him.

He grabbed your arm and you had to fight to not instinctively lash out at him. There were people who had died for far less. 

“Where did you go?” He tightened his grip on your arm, as if he was afraid you would wander off again. 

“Out,” you repeated. “To the store,” you added, hoping it would be enough for now.

“What’s in the bag, Y/N?” Vanya asked. She was standing in the doorway to the living room now, watching you. 

“Nothing,” you said, moving to try to brush past Diego again.

“Now, hold on,” he said, letting you go and snatching the bag away from you. 

You turned on him, the instinctive rush to use your powers on him strong enough that you had to clench your hands into fists, your nails biting into your skin in an effort to not lash out at Diego. 

“What the hell is this, Y/N?” Diego asked as he started to pull Delores out of the bag.

“Don’t!” You pulled the bag back towards you, tucking Delores safely back into the duffel bag. You didn’t want the others to know about her. They wouldn’t understand. 

“Enough of this,” Diego said, reaching out to grip your arms. “Tell me what the hell is going on with you!”

You shook your head, meeting his gaze. “I can’t. Not yet.”

“Why not?” Diego yelled. You flinched, but you didn’t move to step away from him.

“Diego,” Vanya started, but you shook your head. 

“I know it must seem weird,” you said. “But I know what I’m doing. I’ll tell you more later,” you half-promised, not sure if you would really keep your word. “After we go see Klaus.”

You silently begged Diego to just let it go for now. From the look on his face, you knew that it wouldn’t be that easy, though. He looked like he was seconds away from handcuffing himself to you if it meant that you wouldn’t disappear again. He looked desperate. 

“Then why can’t you just tell me something. Why did I wake up to find you gone? I called Vanya, thinking you were with her, but she thought you were still here. I looked for you, Y/N. It was like when you and Five disappeared all over again. Don’t do that to me again.”

“I’m sorry,” you started, taking a shuddering breath. You glanced away from Diego to look at Vanya. “I won’t do it again.” Another promise you weren’t sure you would keep. 

“You were gone for sixteen years,” Diego said, shaking you until you finally looked at him again. “We thought you were dead! I need you to talk to me,” he begged. “Please,” he added on a whisper. 

“Diego, she probably needs time. She’s been through something,” Vanya tried to tell him. “Let’s leave it until after you take her to see Klaus.” 

You felt like you were going to panic. You didn’t know what to say or do. Diego meant well, but he was pushing you. You didn’t want to be pushed. You wanted Five. You wanted to take Delores to your room and give her a safe place to stay until Five showed up again. You wanted to see Klaus. “I want to see Klaus,” you said, not able to keep the wish to yourself any longer. “It’s been so long and I need to see him.”

“I’ll take you to see him today if you just tell me something,” Diego pleaded. “Anything,” he added.

You finally met his gaze, feeling your resolve crumble. “I can’t tell you everything, because I don’t know everything,” you offered.

“Then just tell me why you left tonight. Why did you sneak out of the house to steal a stupid mannequin?”

You knew you had to tell Diego something. He wasn’t going to let you go until he had some kind of an answer. “She's not stupid and her name is Delores,” you finally responded. “And I met her during the apocalypse.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the long wait. Life has been a shitshow and my passion for writing dwindled. Just in the past two weeks, I've dealt with car accidents, identity theft, and an infection. But! Today is my birthday, so I'm celebrating by finally updating this. Hope you all like it. ♥ 
> 
> Songs for this chapter:  
> Tonight, Tonight by Smashing Pumpkins  
> Six Feet Down Under by Frank Iero and the Future Violents
> 
> Thank you to anyone who shows this some love. ♥ If you're interested in Walking Dead or Stranger Things reader inserts, then please check out my other two fics in my update rotation while waiting on the next update. :)


	4. Promises We Made Were in Vain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's kind of funny that the reader's reunion with Klaus is in chapter four. I didn't plan it that way, but it's a happy accident.  
> Sorry this took so long! Here's to hoping chapter five happens a hell of a lot sooner.

The Handler came to you and Five during one of your worst fights. On that fateful morning, you were standing across from Five, hardly believing that he was going on and on about a wine cellar he discovered when he was supposed to be looking for food. You didn’t understand why he managed to bring back wine, but not any food. There wasn't much of it left for the two of you to survive on and you knew that if something wasn't done soon, then the both of you would be in trouble. 

“At this rate, we’re going to starve. We’ll never get back,” you tried to point out to Five.

“We won’t starve,” he immediately dismissed. “I wouldn’t let that happen to you or Delores.”

“Delores doesn’t need to eat, Five. _You_ do.”

“Well, I’ll find us something. I brought us this, didn’t I?” He asked as he held up the bottle of wine in his hand. 

“We can’t survive on that, Five!” You snapped, hating that you were arguing with him. You didn’t want this to drive a wedge between the two of you, but you didn’t want to go another day without anything to eat. 

Over the years, you had to compromise what you were and weren't willing to eat in order to survive. Now that your options had dwindled, you knew it was going to come down to you either leaving the city in search of better shelter or venturing further out in search of supplies. You were just about to grab your bag and bid goodbye to Five so you could explore past the limits you and Five had set up for yourselves when you heard a noise. 

You and Five froze, staring at each other with wide eyes. You knew without a doubt that there was someone else nearby. Five handed you the bottle of wine and then slowly reached for the shotgun he kept around. He quickly turned to aim it at the intruder, putting himself between you and the stranger. You couldn't help but roll your eyes at the gesture. It wasn't like you would have been completely useless at defending yourself. You and Five still sparred from time to time and you still had control over your powers. Five could only jump from one space to another occasionally, but you suspected that he was holding himself back. You couldn't help but feel a thrill of fear every time you saw him use his power. What if he jumped through time and left you alone here forever? You didn't even want to consider it. 

"Oh, don't let me interrupt you. I can wait," the woman said with an insincere grin.

You didn't trust her. It was an immediate, overwhelming feeling when you looked at her for the first time. There was something dangerous about her. She looked calm and welcoming, but you knew behind that fake smile was a set of teeth she wouldn't hesitate to use to rip your throat out. 

"What are you doing here?" Five asked, never letting the gun fall or waver. 

"I'm here to offer you a job. And you, of course," she added as she glanced at you. She mostly kept her focus on Five, though. You knew, somehow, that she didn't care about you. She was only interested in Five. Her expression seemed hungry, like she would eat Five alive if given half the chance. 

You shivered and turned away, wrapping your arms around yourself. You trusted Five to watch your back while you tried to get over the shock of seeing someone else. You thought for a moment to tell him to kill the woman. There was something not quite right about this situation. How did she get here? She looked untouched by the end of the world. She obviously had not been there while you and Five suffered through years of isolation and near starvation. You didn't want to think about killing someone just because they gave you a bad feeling, but you definitely didn't trust the woman. 

Later, after the woman went over her whole spiel and promised you and Five the opportunity to get back to your family after five years of service, you tried to talk Five out of it.

"There's something wrong with it," you told Five. "Too many strings," you added, not sure how to really explain why you didn't want to go with the woman. She seemed only politely interested in you, her focus hardly leaving Five. You couldn't help but think that she knew about Five. She knew about you as well. She knew what you both could do. Obviously, she wanted to use your powers for her own gain. But why? You didn't know the answer and you were sure that you would never want to understand. If you went with the woman, then you would be signing over your freedom for five years. A lot could happen in that amount of time. 

"We have to, Y/N. This could be our only opportunity to get back to the others," Five tried to reason with you.

You shook your head, trying to think of something that would get him to at least consider staying. "You're really going to leave Delores? You'd put us both through this when I know you can get us back by yourself?" You briefly thought about letting Five go without you. You imagined living out the rest of your days in the ruined library with Delores. Hardly any food. Supplies running scarce. You didn't know if you could manage, but you were terrified of what was to come if you put your life into the hands of the woman standing on the other side of the destroyed room. You couldn’t help but think of her as a shark circling two people stranded in the middle of the ocean. She must have known that you and Five were desperate for a way out of there. Why was she only offering you salvation now when you both were nearing your lowest points? 

"This is in case I don't figure out how to get back," Five explained, his hand reaching out to wrap around your arm, trying to gain your attention. "This is our failsafe. Our way out of the apocalypse." He paused before he looked over at Delores. "Our escape hatch."

You closed your eyes, hating to see the heartbroken expression on Five's face. You knew that he wasn't going to do well without Delores. You didn't know how he had the strength to even think about leaving her. But if he did, then that meant you'd have to find it in yourself to trust Five. If he could willingly put himself through this, then you would have to try this for him. 

"Okay," you agreed, nodding your head. "If you think we should do this, then I'll go with you. I trust you."

Five offered you a grin, reaching out to wrap his other hand around your wrist. "I couldn't do any of this without you," he said before he pulled you into a hug.

You couldn't help but laugh at that. "Somehow, I think you'd manage," you said when you pulled away. You glanced over at Delores, a part of you already mourning her. It was just someone else you would have to leave. But if this worked, if you made it through the next five years, then you could see your family again. You would see your mom and dad. Luther, Diego, Allison, Ben, and Vanya. You would see Klaus again. The thought brought a brief smile to your face. Five years would be nothing to you if it meant that at the end of it, you would get to see your loved ones. 

You let Five lead you over towards the woman and swallowed down your grimace at his next words. 

"We're ready."

***

"The apocalypse, Y/N? Really? What the hell?" Diego asked. "If you don't want to tell us, then just say so."

You rolled your eyes, adjusting the duffel bag strap on your shoulder. "Fine," you got out through clenched teeth. You had tried to explain. If Diego didn't want to believe you, then that was his fault. You couldn't help but think that Klaus would believe you. If you got the time to tell him everything, then you knew that he would take you at your word. You just hoped that the trust you had built between you when you were younger was still there. 

"Diego," Vanya started, reaching out briefly to stop you from walking away. "I think she _is_ telling the truth." You glanced over to see Vanya considering you. "You are, aren't you?"

You bit your lip, a nervous habit that was returning now that you weren't being constantly watched for a sign of weakness. You slowly nodded your head, not sure what you should reveal right now. You wanted to give them as much and as little as you possibly could. There were some things about what you had gone through that they wouldn't quite understand yet, but you figured that with time, you'd be able to ease them into the whole story of the apocalypse and the Temps Commission. Not to mention, if any of your former co-workers came after you, then you wanted to make sure that Diego and Vanya weren't in their way. Once they got in the way, then they were fair game. 

Diego finally turned to look at you as well. After a few seconds, his eyes went wide. "Holy shit," he said. "You're serious."

"Obviously," you replied as you rolled your eyes. 

"How?" Vanya asked. "What happened?"

You shook your head. "Five and I spent decades in the apocalypse and never figured out a damn thing.” You frowned. You knew that wasn’t quite true, but how were you going to explain the eye found in Luther’s grasp when you and Five discovered his body? You couldn’t talk about that yet. “Well, what we _could_ figure out led us nowhere,” you amended. “We knew we had to get back to this time to figure it all out. Something went wrong, though, because Five isn't here."

"Is he alive?" Diego asked.

You shook your head, not sure how to answer. "I hope so," you finally offered with a shrug of your shoulders. Hope was just about all you had right now. 

"So then what's the deal with the mannequin?" He nodded towards the duffel bag where Delores was still safely tucked away. 

"Five found Delores not too long into our time there. She was with us most of the time."

"She was your friend?" Vanya asked, her tone careful as if she was worried about offending you.

"I know what it looks like," you said. "But she was there for Five when he wouldn't let me be." You shrugged your shoulders. "After a few years, it stopped being weird." You sighed and pinched the bridge of your nose in frustration. "Look, I'll tell you what I know later, but I want to get her settled in. I didn't sleep last night and I don't want to look like death when we go see Klaus."

Diego rolled his eyes and looked as if he wanted to protest, but Vanya shook her head, putting a hand on his arm to stall his argument. "Go rest for a bit. We'll be here when you want to talk."

You offered her a smile and then left to track down your old bedroom. You didn't plan on sleeping, but you had to get your thoughts in order. Halfway towards your old room, you stopped in the middle of the hallway, glancing around. You found yourself instead moving towards Five's old bedroom, not wanting to go to yours just yet. You weren't sure you were ready to face the kind of guilt that would be waiting for you within those four walls. Besides, you figured Delores would rather be in Five’s room than yours. When Five managed to find his way back, you knew he would appreciate the gesture.

You got Delores set up on a chair by the window, turning her head until she could look outside.

"It's not so bad, right?" You sat down on the edge of the bed, putting your face in your hands. "I don't know what to do, Delores. I need to track down the company that made the eye," you said, finally leaning back so you weren’t talking into your hands. "I need to find out if they've given it to anyone yet. I need to find out what pulled the trigger on the apocalypse. I need to see Klaus." You sighed and glanced over at Delores. "I know," you answered her unspoken suggestion. "I need Five."

You spoke to Delores for a while, trying to catch her up on the five-year period when you and Five weren't with her. You knew it was probably silly, but in a way, talking to Delores made you feel like you still had a connection to Five. You had gone decades with only Five and Delores for company. You had witnessed truly terrible and horrific things when you were partnered with Five and working for the Temps Commission. You had carried out unspeakable things all in the hope that you would get back to where you were right at that moment. The problem was that you didn't know what you were supposed to do without Five. He was the mastermind behind everything. You merely played a part in his plans. Now, you would have to figure out how to go forward with as much of the plan as you knew. You didn't think you could stop the apocalypse, but maybe if you could figure out what caused it, then you could delay it until Five showed up. After all, The Handler always told you that Five's power was by far more useful than yours. What could you gain by giving someone a nightmare?

By the time Diego and Vanya came to collect you for your trip to see Klaus, you felt like you were finally ready to face him. You had to borrow a dress from your mom, since you didn't have many clothes to choose from. You figured if anything, you could make another midnight trip to Gimbel Brothers to find what you needed. For now, the dress would have to do. 

"Wow," Diego breathed when he saw you. "You look..." he trailed off, as if not sure which word he was supposed to use.

"Beautiful," Vanya finished, shooting you a smile. 

"Thanks," you told her. "So, are we going?"

Diego was still staring at you, so Vanya hurried to answer. "I'm going to go back to my apartment. I have to teach a lesson. But Diego is going to go with you. Is that okay?"

You nodded, turning to look at Diego. He shot you a strained smile and then beckoned for you to follow him. He led you out to his car, opening the passenger side door for you once you were there. 

"So chivalrous," you joked once he slid into the driver's seat.

"Oh, shut up," Diego muttered, before he started his car.

You felt nervous on the way to the prison where Klaus was being held. You felt like you couldn't take a full breath. 

“So, what are you going to tell him?” Diego asked, breaking you out of your worry.

“I don’t know,” you answered. “What can I say to make up for breaking my promise?” You didn’t think there was anything you really could do except apologize. 

“What promise?” Diego glanced briefly at you, his brows furrowing in confusion.

“I promised to come back that morning,” you reminded him. “I didn’t.”

“Oh,” Diego mouthed. He turned his attention back towards the road, his hands tightening briefly on the steering wheel. 

An awkward silence fell between you. You kept trying to think of things to say to break it, but by the time you thought of anything, Diego was turning the car into the visitor’s lot of the prison. 

You felt dazed as you went through the process of going through security, wondering how Diego managed to get you both in to see Klaus so quickly. You figured he still had some connections in the system and were glad that even if he did wash out of the police academy, that he at least still tried. You heard officers call Diego's name as you passed them, and you turned to grin at him. "You were popular," you couldn't help but point out.

You noticed a woman watching the two of you. She was leaning against a wall near the reception desk. There was a tight, pinched set to her mouth, her eyes focused on where Diego’s hand was resting on your shoulder as he led you forward. You wondered if she was getting the wrong idea about your relationship with Diego. 

"Not that popular," Diego answered when he noticed the woman. He turned to you, briefly squeezing your shoulder. "Stay here for one second. I need to go talk to my friend."

You watched Diego walk over to the woman. After a few seconds of observing them, you felt confident that you knew enough of their history just from watching them interact. You figured that at least your training at your former job had been good for something. 

From the way Diego still leaned towards her and the almost relieved look on her face when he gestured at you, you assumed they were exes. She was likely momentarily jealous seeing Diego with another woman, but he must have assured her that you were his long-lost sister. He still had feelings for this woman, whoever she was. You hoped it worked out for them again. If Diego saw someone who he trusted enough to let in, then you knew the woman must be someone special. 

You tried to wait patiently while Diego talked to her, doing your best not to fidget. You really didn’t want to appear suspicious. Years in the Temps Commission taught you that if you could fade into the background and not attract attention, then you would be able to get more done. You glanced down at the bright, floral dress you were wearing and couldn’t help but think that you weren’t going to be as inconspicuous as you wanted until you found something else to wear.

Finally, Diego broke away from the woman, waving at her as he walked towards you. When he returned to your side, you couldn't help but ask about her. "Ex of yours?"

Diego frowned and started leading you away with a hand on the small of your back. "How'd you figure that out?"

You shrugged your shoulders. "Just a lucky guess."

Diego led you to the visitor's room. You were glad to see that you wouldn't be separated from Klaus with a divider. Instead, there was a row of tables facing another row of tables. Diego directed you to sit down at one of the tables and stood behind you, his hand on the back of your chair. You were glad for the support he was silently offering you. You weren't sure if you were nervous or excited from the anticipation you felt at finally getting to see Klaus after forty-five years. 

The door on the other side of the room opened and an officer led a man towards the table opposite yours. 

You had a few moments to study the man as the officer pushed him into the chair. You took in his dark brown hair and green eyes. There was a playful smirk on his face as he regarded you. Even though he had aged sixteen years, you knew that you would recognize him anywhere. 

"Klaus," you whispered.

"No gifts and no touching," the officer informed you as he took a step away from Klaus.

"Only if you ask nicely," Klaus told you with a wink.

"And no more smartass remarks, Hargreeves," the officer grumbled.

"We've got it from here, Ramirez," Diego assured, waving the officer away.

“Take note,” Klaus said as he glanced over his shoulder. You thought for a moment that he was talking to the officer, but he seemed to be looking at a point directly behind himself and not where the officer was by the door. “'Be right back,' is apparently code for ‘in about sixteen years.’”

Diego frowned and then gestured towards you. “Klaus, this is --”

“Y/N,” Klaus finished for him.

“You recognize her? Did you see her tattoo or what?”

“No,” Klaus answered with a shake of his head. He smirked up at Diego. “All those years of cop school and you couldn’t recognize your own sister when she’s right in front of you?”

Diego opened his mouth to protest, but you beat him to it. “Klaus,” you whispered again, waiting until he met your eyes. “What happened?”

Klaus raised an eyebrow, leaning back in his chair and considering you. “I think I should be asking you that.”

"It's a long story," you managed to say. 

"Yeah. Ditto," Klaus answered with a sharp grin. "You promised," he said. "And I waited. But you didn't come back." He squinted as he shrugged his shoulders. "Guess it wasn't that long of a story. Your turn, Y/N," he told you as he leaned forward, putting his elbows on the table. 

You noticed the officer tense up by the door, but Diego waved him off again. You were suddenly painfully aware that your reunion with Klaus wasn't happening in a place where you could spill all of your secrets to him.

"I tried to get back here," you managed to tell him. You felt like your throat was closing up. You had known, deep down, that Klaus would probably be angry. Well, as angry as he ever got with someone. But the whole situation was fucked up. You had always thought that if you got to have your reunion with Klaus, then it would just be the two of you. You could tell him everything. Explain everything. And you knew that he would forgive you, because that was just how Klaus was. You had dreamed of this moment for decades and now it wasn't quite how you pictured it would unfold. 

Klaus muttered something over his shoulder again before he turned his attention fully on you. He looked you up and down for a moment before he spoke again. "Being gone for sixteen years seems to have suited you. Maybe I should have tried it. Abandoning your family must be the new trip to the Bahamas."

You were starting to feel frustrated. You didn't know how to get through to him. Klaus was building a barrier between you that you weren't sure you would be able to break down. You couldn't remember a time when he was so upset with you. "You don't know what happened to me and Five. You don't know what I went through to get back here."

"I know you left," Klaus said, crossing his arms over his chest. 

"Klaus, please," you begged. "I'll explain more, but not here." You briefly glanced over at the officer, before considering Klaus again. "Not here," you repeated, hoping he would notice how sincere you were. 

"Just leave it for now, Klaus," Diego cut in. 

"I don't remember asking for your opinion, Diego. Shouldn't you be out fighting crime like a good little vigilante?" Klaus finally turned to look up at Diego, offering him a grin. 

You heard Diego groan. "Are you high?"

Klaus shrugged his shoulders, but you could tell that he wasn't going to deny it. You didn't know how you didn't realize it before. "You'd be surprised about all of the little goodies you can find in prison."

"What the hell are you thinking?" Diego hissed as he leaned closer, as if trying to make sure that Officer Ramirez didn't hear him. "Are you trying to extend your sentence?"

Klaus squinted up at Diego before he considered you again. "Actually, the opposite. I need to speak to our darling Diego for a moment. Would you be a doll and go wait over there for a moment, Y/N?"

You didn't want to get up, because you didn't want to have to leave Klaus. Even if he was mad at you, you knew that if given the time to explain, he would understand. "Okay," you finally agreed, standing up and smoothing out your borrowed dress. You went to stand by the door Diego had led you through just moments before.

Diego sat down in the chair across from Klaus. From where you were standing, you couldn't hear much. You thought you heard Allison's name and something about a lawyer, but it was like the more you tried to hear, the less you could make out.

Finally, Diego nodded and then stood up. He gestured for you to come closer again. "Well, bro," Diego started. "I just have one thing to tell you."

"Oh, yeah?" Klaus asked, raising an eyebrow. "What's that?"

"You look terrible in orange," Diego said with a grin. 

Klaus scoffed and then leaned back in his chair, gesturing at his orange jumpsuit. "Don't insult us both by lying." He finally glanced back at you and offered you a fleeting, genuine smile. "See you soon, Y/N."

"When?" You couldn't help but ask, but you didn't get an answer. Officer Ramirez was already moving to collect Klaus from his chair. "Goodbye, Klaus," you called, hating that your reunion was already over.

He glanced at you over his shoulder, winking at you, before he was through the door on the other side of the room and out of your sight.

You felt bereft without him in the room. You felt like crying, of all things, because you didn't know when you would be able to see him again. Klaus had been your anchor growing up and now you felt like you didn't know what was going to keep you from losing your mind. 

"We'll figure it out, Y/N," Diego told you as he led you out of the room. "Don't worry."

"Easier said than done," you found yourself saying.

"Yeah, well, that's what family is for, right?" Diego said with a grin before he wrapped his arm around your shoulders. "Now, how about I treat you to some lunch? I'm sure you had all kinds of shitty food in the apocalypse. What are you in the mood for now?"

You let Diego distract you as he led you out of the prison. In that moment, you were grateful that if you couldn't have Klaus or Five with you, then you at least had Diego.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs for this chapter:  
> Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) by Journey  
> Roll Up by Fitz and the Tantrums 
> 
> Next chapter, I start delving into the reader's time with the Temps Commission, so be prepared for that. 
> 
> I actually had a dream that I posted this last night and everyone hated it. It took me a really long time to convince myself to post this today. At a certain point, I just told myself that if I didn't post it now, then I never would. So, here it is. I hope everyone is okay with this one. 
> 
> Thank you to everyone who shows this love. You guys are the best and really keep this going. ♥ And to anyone celebrating Thanksgiving next week, Happy Thanksgiving. :)


	5. Will We Make It Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: This might have some Inception references...or I accidentally made a crossover. I also took a few liberties with the Temps Commission.  
> Songs for this chapter:  
> I Wish I Was the Moon by Neko Case  
> We Don't Know by The Strumbellas

The Handler brought you and Five to a training facility she said was used by the company to get new recruits ready for their commitment to the Temps Commission. She took you and Five on a tour of the facility, pointing out training rooms and firing ranges as she explained how things were going to be for the both of you over the next five years. You didn't fully understand what you were supposed to be doing, but by the grim expression on Five's face, you had a pretty good idea that it wasn't anything that would leave either of you feeling great about yourselves. 

You went through what they called pre-training. You were given a better idea of what was expected of you. They wanted you to correct the timelines. They wanted you to act as their weapon, waiting for them to point you in a direction, and then unleash you on unsuspecting victims all in the name of making sure that the timelines stayed intact. 

You didn't want to kill anyone. You didn't want to work for people who only saw a bottom line and never cared about the people in the crosshairs. You couldn't help but think that you and Five were lying yourselves down in front of the train that was the company, just waiting for them to run you over. 

You were expected to use your power. You were told that you would have to do 'whatever it took,' to ensure that events unfolded in the correct order. You weren't supposed to rebel or it would not turn out well for you and your partner. You weren't supposed to fraternize with other agents, or you would be fired. From the way they said the word, you had a feeling there was a lot more to it than simply losing your job. 

You were informed of the practices and rules you were expected to uphold if you didn't want to catch a bullet to the head. It was one long seminar that basically turned out to be one very clear threat. 

The sick part, you couldn't help but think to yourself, was that you were supposed to be one of them. If you wanted any shot of seeing your family again and saving them, then you would have to play along. You trusted Five with everything, but you couldn't help but resent Five a little for setting the both of you on this path. Surely, you reasoned with yourself, there were better ways to save the world and your family than turning yourself into an unwilling assassin. 

They separated you and Five for training. They claimed that it was better to assess your individual skill sets and to determine if you would make good partners. You didn't get how working separately would determine how you worked together, but you only knew that if they tried to make you work with anyone other than Five, then you would bring as many of them down as you could before they subdued or killed you. You had been with Five every day for the past few decades. You didn't even want to think about what it would do to you to have to go five years without him. 

The Handler introduced you to a man in a bespoke suit. He had the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, lending him a professional, yet somehow relaxed, appearance. She explained that he would be in charge of your training, claiming that he was one of their best. You took the time that she was making the introduction to study him. He had dark hair that was slicked back with a bit too much product. Once he turned his gaze on you, you noticed his eyes were dark brown. There was something heavy about his gaze, as if he was also taking the few seconds he had to tear you apart and put you back together in his mind, solving you as if you were a puzzle. The expression on his face while you were introduced was severe enough to make you assume he hated you, but once The Handler walked away, he aimed a grin at you. "So, you're my new protege." 

"I guess," you replied, wondering if he was trying to throw you off guard. It was working, but you didn't want him to know that. 

"Come on," he said as he beckoned for you to follow him. "We'll start with target practice. I need to see your aim." 

You followed the man until he led you to a firing range. He walked over to a table with an array of guns spread over the surface, seemingly checking them over. His moves seemed smooth and efficient, as if he was carefully calculating each action before carrying through with it. You were trying to get a read on him, but it was almost impossible. 

"What's your name?" He asked as he turned to look at you. 

"Y/N," you answered. You wished you knew where Five was. You didn't want to train. You were quite sure that you had received all the training you needed when you were younger and part of a team. You didn't want to learn how to shoot. You didn't want to use a gun on anyone. You didn't even like using your powers on people and you were born with those. The fact that you were likely expected to use both for the next five years at the behest of the Temps Commission was making you feel sick to your stomach. 

"I'm Arthur," the man offered, reaching his hand out for you to shake. "I've been here for six years. You're in good hands," he said as he reached out to pat you on the shoulder. "You don't have to look so worried." 

"Six years? I thought most agents only worked for five." 

"Most," Arthur agreed with a nod. "If you don't get killed or decommissioned first. But the benefits package is way better if you spend longer here." He moved to start setting up targets on the other side of the room. "I guess they made me an offer I couldn't refuse." 

"Oh," you said, trying to figure out what kind of person would sign themselves up for more of this crap. "Why did you stay?" 

"It's not like I enjoy working for the company. My husband and I plan to take off as soon as we can," Arthur offered with a shrug of his shoulders. "We're just waiting for the best ticket out of here." 

You couldn't help but wonder if Arthur's husband worked for the company as well. If so, was the whole fraternization rule bullshit or did it only apply to active agents? You didn't get a chance to ask any more questions about Arthur or the company that day since Arthur launched right into your training. 

With Arthur, you learned how to shoot a gun until your aim became scarily accurate each time. There were lessons on interrogation and torture. You learned how to make poisons with limited supplies and track down information. You already knew how to terrify people, but if you didn't have to use your powers to get through a job, then you would do almost anything that you could to avoid it. 

To your surprise, Arthur turned out to actually be a reasonable man. He never inspired a chill down your spine like The Handler did and if he felt like you were about to be overwhelmed, then he always let you take a break. He gave you little snippets of his life while he perfected your aim and informed you how to best guarantee to get information out of someone with a limited amount of time. You learned he had a husband he referred to as 'E,' and a goal to eventually settle down into domesticity with him after he retired from the Temps Commission. E worked as an agent, but he planned on taking up training new recruits once he was allowed. 

You only spent a few weeks in his presence, but you quickly came to trust Arthur. You weren't even suspicious that this was a ploy by the company to get you to let your guard down. Arthur seemed genuinely interested in getting to know you and for the first time, you wondered if you had made a friend that wasn't associated with the Umbrella Academy. 

You cautiously opened up to Arthur, hoping that it wasn't a mistake. You told him about your family, never using their names, but referring to them by their numbers instead. You told him about growing up with an overbearing father and being expected to save the world before you were a teenager. You told him about getting lost in time and only having Five to rely on. You confided in him about the people who meant the most to you without letting slip too many details. You couldn't help but think that if things went south, then you didn't want to give anything up that could be used against you later. 

In turn, Arthur told you about his old partner. He told you his name was Cobb. When he talked about him, you knew that he cared greatly for the man. But you could also tell that something had happened to tear their partnership apart. It obviously wasn't a clean break and you couldn't help but wonder if Cobb was dead or had been forced to retire from the company. 

It seemed that over the weeks you spent learning from Arthur, a tentative friendship formed between you. It was nice to feel like you could trust someone other than Five for the first time in over forty years. It wasn't easy knowing that you were being sent off to kill, but Arthur proved to be good at distracting you with stories about his former missions. When the time came for you to move on and handle your first assignment with Five as your partner, you found that you were almost sad to leave Arthur. 

On your last day of training, Arthur handed you a gun. "Got this one for you. I hope it brings you luck." 

"Thank you," you told him, pushing a strand of hair behind your ear. You stared down at the gun in your hand, not knowing how to process the fact that you would be expected to use it soon. You were nervous. The only missions you had been on were the ones when you were younger and there was simply a bad guy that needed to be stopped. This was some kind of fucked up temporal intervention by the Temps Commission. You felt like an agent of fate, handing out death and destruction in the hopes of keeping the timeline on track. 

"Watch yourself out there," Arthur told you. "And I hope to see you again." He hesitated for a moment before pulling you into a hug. "Be careful." 

"You too," you said into his shoulder, pulling away after a few moments and finally managing to smile up at him. "Hopefully we'll meet again under better circumstances," you managed to tell him before you turned to leave, knowing that Five and The Handler were waiting on you. 

By the time you were handed your first mission, only moments later, you were ready for the next five years to be over. You didn't want to track down someone. You didn't want to kill someone. All the training in the world wouldn't help if you weren't actually willing to go through with it. But by the look of grim determination on Five's face, he _was_ ready to go through with anything, and you didn't want to leave him alone. Five had signed the both of you up for this, but you knew that you would follow him wherever he wanted to go. 

"I don't trust her," you leaned over to whisper in Five's ear, hoping your voice didn't carry so that The Handler heard you. You didn't even really care if she did, because she likely knew about your distrust, but you also didn't want to show your hand too soon. 

"Good," Five answered, turning to share a look with you. "Don't." 

You couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at him. "That's all you have to offer?" 

"We'll watch each other's backs." Five sighed and then leaned forward to bump into you. "Don't trust anyone else here. Just me. I'll protect you." 

You narrowed your eyes at him. Five always thought that he didn't need help and could do everything by himself. You didn't want him to feel responsible for you in addition to everything else he put on himself. "We'll watch out for each other. I'll protect you too," you offered, leaving out the part where you already trusted someone from the Temps Commission, because you were sure Five wouldn’t like it. 

Five flashed you a brief, wide grin before he nodded his head. "It's a deal." 

"Alright," The Handler interrupted, clapping her hands to get your attention. "If you're ready, then I'll take you to get your tracker installed." 

You shared a look with Five. "You're tagging us?" There had never been any mention of the company tracking you before. 

"Not you, silly girl," The Handler said, her mouth quirked up at the corners in amusement. "Just Five." 

"Why?" You couldn't help but ask, choosing to ignore the 'silly girl' comment for now. 

"Because Five is a valuable asset to our company," The Handler answered, turning away as if that were the end of it. You figured that was all you needed to hear, because what she wasn't saying was spoken loud and clear. You weren't important to the company. It was likely that if they had it their way, Five would be working alone and you would have been left in the future apocalypse. If they lost Five, then they would conveniently lose you too. You were only on their radar and of any significance because of Five. You also knew that you were the bargaining chip they would use if Five tried to take one step out of line. 

You shared a worried look with Five, wondering if it was too late to back out. Five shook his head and reached out to squeeze your wrist, silently telling you everything would be okay. 

As you had done for the past few decades, you had no other choice but to believe him. 

*** 

Once you were back at the Academy, you couldn't sleep. You knew you should probably be tired, since you couldn't even remember the last time you had actually managed to get a full night of rest, but you just couldn't settle. There were too many loose ends and you felt like you were scrambling to tie them all off in the hopes of fixing the future. The impending apocalypse. The looming threat of the Temps Commission. Five either lost in time or stuck in Dallas. Diego and Vanya looking to you for answers about Five that you couldn't give. Your father drifting out of the room the second you walked in, only proving to you that he was hiding something. Allison and Luther obviously not giving a fuck about you showing up, which shouldn't have surprised you. Ben being dead and you unable to prevent it. And Klaus, the one person you wanted to talk to more than anyone, being locked up in a jail cell and rightly pissed off with you. You didn't know how to fix any your current problems and even though you felt emotionally drained and exhausted, there was no way you'd be able to actually let yourself sleep. You knew there would be nightmares and none of them were your own. 

Diego had dropped you off at the mansion, promising to be back as soon as he could. You noticed the domino mask he kept tucked under the driver's side visor in his car and wondered if he was off to fight crime. You had been worried he would ask you to come along, because you didn't think you could handle it. However, he only reeled you into a hug before he waved you off. You made him promise to be careful before stepping away from his car, hoping he wasn't being too reckless with his side job of vigilantism. 

As you watched Diego drive away, you couldn't help but think that the Temps Commission had well and truly fucked you up. It took them less than five years to convince you that you never wanted to use your powers again. You had grown, gotten stronger, but you had been forced to do terrible things with your power. You thought of Reginald Hargreeves and how he had pushed you near your breaking point over and over as a child. Was he any better than the institution that had forced you to use your powers time and again in the worst possible way? If he knew just how much more powerful you had become, then would he want to use you too? You didn't plan on letting him know, but your power had become an instinctive defense now. If he pushed, then you might end up revealing more than you wanted. 

While the Temps Commission had broken you apart piece by piece over the years, Five had seemingly taken everything in stride. If he was breaking under the pressure of the job, then he never revealed that to you. Working for The Handler had also taught you that Five was more likely to hide things from you if he thought it would protect you. You couldn't help but wonder if he had been doing it all along and you never noticed. What else had Five hidden from you? Would he ever get a chance to tell you? 

You had always trusted Five. He was your only source of sanity for forty-five years. But you weren't naive enough to think that he had always been forthcoming with information. There was more to the story than he ever let on, but without him there with you, you weren't sure how you would figure it out by yourself. You felt like there was a knot in your stomach at the thought that you would simply have to wait for the apocalypse to draw near in order to stop it. 

You were curled up on one of the couches in the living room and staring up at the portrait of Five over the fireplace as if it would give you any answers. You wished, for the thousandth time, that he was there with you. You were considering at least attempting to get some sleep, since you were sure sleep deprivation was fast becoming a problem for you, when you heard the front door open and close. 

You thought it might be Diego, but were surprised to hear Vanya's voice. 

"Y/N," she called, bringing your attention to her. She held up a bag in her hand, a small smile on her face. "Feel up to eating something?" 

You squinted at the bag, feeling your face light up when you finally recognized the writing on the side. "Griddy's?" 

"Griddy's," Vanya confirmed with a nod. 

You followed Vanya to the kitchen, watching as she grabbed a couple of plates from the cabinet. She set a doughnut down on one of the plates and slid it until it was in front of you. Frosted pink with sprinkles. Your favorite when you were younger. You couldn't help but smile at the sight. "You remembered," you said, glancing back up at her. 

Vanya shrugged and sat down across from you. She placed a plain glazed doughnut on her plate, carefully not meeting your eyes as if suddenly shy. "Yeah, well, I used to think about you and Five coming back a lot. I'd leave the lights on at night when I still lived here, because I was worried you would get back and it would be dark. I didn't want you and Five to get scared or think we weren't waiting all this time for the both of you to come back." She grinned down at her plate, her fingers picking at the doughnut for a moment before she finally glanced up at you. "I'd even leave out peanut butter and marshmallow sandwiches in case Five ever came back. I used to think that he might show up hungry and I didn't want him to think he wasn't on our minds, that we didn't miss him." She nodded towards the doughnut on the plate in front of you. "I also used to keep those stocked. I thought that if you came home and saw it, then you'd know we didn't forget you either." 

You felt touched at the gesture. You could just imagine a younger Vanya leaving out sandwiches and doughnuts, as if in offering to whatever deity could bring her siblings back. "It means a lot," you told her before you took a bite of the doughnut, savoring the sweetness of the icing and fried dough. 

"So, how did it go with Klaus?" Vanya ducked her head, as if she thought you might be upset for asking. 

You weren't really sure how to answer. "He's hurt," you finally managed to say. "I broke my promise." 

Vanya shook her head. "It wasn't your fault," she immediately denied. 

"You know, I blamed myself for a really long time, though. Five blamed himself. He always said it was his power that brought us there, so it should be his power that brought us back." You couldn't help a rueful grin at that, shaking your head at the memory of arguments the both of you had. You had spent many nights wishing you had never gone after Five and immediately feeling torn up with guilt at the thought. You couldn't even imagine what Five would have gone through if he was all by himself. You would have made the choice to go with Five again and again, if only so he wouldn't be alone, even though you knew the cost was heavy. 

"It wasn't your fault," Vanya repeated, shaking her head. "Neither of you could have known for sure what would happen." 

"You weren't ever angry with me or Five?" You couldn't help but ask. If you had been left behind, you weren't sure how you would have felt. Would you have hated Five for leaving? Would you have felt like he abandoned you? 

"No," she answered after a few moments of thought. "I was worried. I thought the both of you weren't coming back, but I still looked for you everywhere." She took a deep breath, not even pretending to eat her doughnut anymore, too caught up in the conversation. "I was scared," she admitted. "We all were. We thought you were both dead." 

You blinked down at the table, feeling a sting in your eyes. You really didn't want to cry in front of Vanya, but you figured that if you did, she was the most likely person you knew to handle it best. "I'm sorry," you whispered. 

"Honestly, I think it was the one time Klaus actively wanted to use his power. He kept saying that he couldn't see you and he knew that you wouldn't leave him alone if you did die, so he was going to take it as a good sign. I guess his faith in you two not being dead made me believe it too." 

You hastily wiped at your eyes, hoping it wasn't too obvious that you were seconds from crying. You felt even more guilt at the thought that Klaus had been looking for you with his power. You weren't sure what to say to that, so you focused on enjoying the treat Vanya brought you. It had been so long since you had Griddy's. Every bite brought you right back to your childhood and laughing along with the others every time you snuck out of the mansion just to visit the establishment. Those were some of the best memories from your childhood and you couldn't help but love Vanya even more for thinking of getting you something from there. She had helped you and Five out over the years in more ways than she could possibly imagine. 

"Thank you," you told Vanya, not looking up at her from where you were pulling off a piece of the doughnut. 

"For what?" Vanya asked, the confusion evident in her voice. "Griddy's?" 

You shook your head, clearing your throat. It suddenly felt difficult to speak and even though you knew you probably shouldn’t have been, you found yourself choked up all over again. "For the book." 

Vanya's hand dropped to the table in shock, the doughnut in her hand falling on the table. "You read it? When? How?" She sat forward in her seat, her expression almost eager. 

"Five and I found a copy of it when we were in the future. We both read it," you added, knowing that she would have asked. 

"Oh," she breathed, absently reaching out to grab the doughnut and put it back on her plate. "What did you think?" 

You could tell she was nervous. You knew the family must have given her hell for publishing the book in the first place. A lot of dirty laundry had been aired about the Hargreeves family the day Vanya released that book out into the world. You knew that she was used to the family disregarding her so the one time she got their undivided attention had probably not been a positive experience for her. 

"I loved it," you said, flashing her a sincere smile. 

"Really?" She looked like she was about to drop the doughnut in her hand all over again. "Are you sure?" 

You couldn't help but laugh at that, nodding your head. "It was a lifeline for us. We were stuck there without any idea about how any of you were doing. We were all alone, but your book made us feel like we weren't. It helped us, Vanya. Thank you," you said again, reaching across the table to squeeze her hand. 

Vanya didn't say anything for a few minutes. You weren't sure what she was thinking, but you hoped she knew you weren't lying to her. By the time you finished your doughnut, she finally glanced back up at you. "I'm sorry that's how you had to find out about Ben." 

You bit your lip, wishing you had something to do with your hands as a way to distract yourself. "It was rough," you finally admitted. "I was really hoping Five could send us back to a point when we could save Ben." 

"Do you think Five is alive?" Vanya winced, as if she wasn't sure if she should ask. 

"I hope so," you offered with a shrug. "He was supposed to be here. Either he got delayed or his calculations were off. Delores did tell him they were off," you remembered with a frown. Was that what happened? His numbers were off and he threw himself into another time? You felt a cold wash of fear at the thought that he had sent himself right back to the apocalypse. You really hoped he showed up soon, because you weren't sure you could wait any longer. 

"Maybe he'll show up soon," Vanya tried to assure you, as if she could hear your worry. 

"Maybe," you agreed. You sighed and glanced down at your empty plate, wondering if Vanya would be up for visiting Griddy's with you again soon. You trailed your finger through the flakes of sugar that were left over and tasted them, thinking about Vanya's book. "You know," you started, "Hargreeves _is_ an asshole." 

Vanya choked on her bite of doughnut, coughing until she was able to breathe. 

"Sorry," you said, feeling bad that you had caught her off guard. 

Vanya shook her head, waving off your apology. "No, it's okay," she said, her voice thin and weak. "Just startled me." 

You got up and grabbed her a glass of water. You set it down in front of her and took your seat again, watching as she composed herself. 

"Why did you say that?" She finally asked, setting down the half-empty glass of water on the table in front of her. 

"Because he is," you offered with a shrug of your shoulders. "He treated you like shit. He treated all of us like shit. He only ever cared about our powers or training us. He never took the time to realize we were all just kids. We were kids and he made you feel like you didn't belong. We didn't help either." You frowned down at the table, running your fingers over the edge. "I'm sorry about that. I didn't realize the extent of it until we read your book." 

Vanya shot you a small smile, but didn't say anything. She went back to picking at the rest of her doughnut, her eyes never meeting yours. After a few moments, she sighed and shook her head. "I guess I never really thought any of you would apologize. Or like that book," she added on a laugh. 

"Well, I do apologize. And I did like the book." You took a deep breath, steeling yourself for what you were about to admit, and sat forward in your seat. "Hargreeves is an asshole," you repeated, "and I don't trust him." 

Vanya raised an eyebrow at that, clearly still surprised. "Why?" 

"He's hiding things," you explained. " I don't know what or why, but he is. There's something about him always watching us but never telling us what he's thinking." You grimaced at your next thought, but still found yourself voicing it. "He reminds me too much of my former boss." 

"Former boss?" Vanya asked in confusion. "Who's that?" 

You shook your head. "Someone bad," you said. "I'll tell you more about them later once I'm sure you'll be safe." 

"Me?" Vanya asked with a frown. "Why wouldn't I be safe?" 

You shrugged, not wanting to say that if the Temps Commission came knocking, then Vanya was most in trouble since she didn't have a power. If anything, the only one who could probably help you was Diego, but in order to do that, you'd have to explain who they were and why they were going to be gunning for you. It was a thread you didn't want to tug on just yet, since you knew that everything would unravel the moment you did. You would have to admit to killing people. Torturing them. Using your powers against them in the worst ways imaginable. Being with the Temps Commission had broken you, in a way, and you didn't want to bring everything up. The only person you would have felt safe enough to confide in was currently in jail, so you knew you'd have to wait. Once you talked to Klaus, once you explained everything and found peace with him, then you could face everyone else. 

"No one would be," you finally said. "That's why I'll have to find them first." 

Vanya scowled and shook her head. "That doesn't really sound safe." 

You flashed her a brief, manic grin. "It isn't," you answered before you stood up. "Now, how would you feel about going back to Griddy's?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Arthur is pretty much based on Arthur from Inception. 'E' is Eames, because I ship them. And Cobb is Cobb. I couldn't help myself, sorry.
> 
> Not going to lie, I've been pretty depressed since the year began. The New Year always depresses the hell out of me, but I've been having trouble snapping out of it this year. I have to force myself to get out of bed in the mornings. I have to force myself to work. But I didn't want to force myself to work on this, because I get impatient when I'm like that, and I would just really fuck everything up. So I'm grateful to all of you for being patient with me. My mind has been putting me through hell, but I had this fic on my mind every day. I worked on it bit by bit, when I felt I could, so I hope this was okay. I know there's no Klaus in this chapter, but I promise he will be in the next chapter and likely every chapter after that. I hope the bonding with Vanya in this chapter will suffice. Thank you all. ♥


	6. Let's Go Take Apart This Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was indulgent as fuck with this chapter. Hope this makes up for the angsty shit before and after this chapter. Also, I basically made the best playlist ever to write this chapter and I just wrote this in one day while I worked my actual job. The power of good music, everyone. I highly recommend Young & Wild by The Strumbellas for the second part of this chapter, since it reminds me of Klaus. I love that song/band so much. 
> 
> Songs for this chapter:  
> Young & Wild by The Strumbellas  
> Give 'Em Hell Kid by My Chemical Romance

Your first few missions with the Temps Commission were not smooth by any means. There were mishaps and mistakes. You and Five were in sync, but you couldn't figure out how to justify killing someone. Five seemed to shut down a little bit more with each mission completed, his focus solely on carrying out the objective. It didn't help that you were told you were being sent on the easy missions first, to get a real test of your skills, before they threw the harder assignments at you. You didn't even want to imagine what was in store for you when each life you took felt like you were slowly breaking apart while Five seemed to keep his composure. 

There were many nights spent in shitty motel rooms when you stared at him on the opposite bed, wondering if he was still the same Five you had known all these years. Along the way, had he lost himself? Did you lose yourself? The Temps Commission might very well break the two of you apart and just the thought of that made you feel like you were on the edge of insanity. Forty years in the apocalypse had brought you together, forming you into a formidable team. Sometimes, you just had to look at Five to know exactly what he was thinking. But surviving at the end of times and killing people to appease your boss were two entirely different bonding activities and you weren’t sure if you and Five would be able to pick up the pieces afterwards. 

With each mission that passed, you began to act as a more cohesive unit. When Five moved one way, you instinctively knew to move the other. One shared look between you was as good as speaking a full conversation and you learned how to work more efficiently with Five. It made you sick to think that the both of you were becoming proficient at killing people, and it hurt you a little each time you had to use your power to further the mission, but you kept in mind that everything you were going through was just one more step towards getting back to your family. 

Even though you were sure The Handler wasn’t lying when she said you and Five were one of her best teams, it still felt like the reins were pulling a little tighter with every job. You knew without a doubt that the Temps Commission was watching your every move. Every so often, The Handler would surprise the two of you. She was all fake smiles and going on and on about her favorite team. But she only ever really had eyes for Five. 

It didn't escape your notice that any time Five started to rebel just a little, when he began to question orders, it was heavily implied that if he didn't go through with what the Temps Commission had in store for the mission, then you would be at fault and appropriate action would be taken. Whenever The Handler graced the both of you with her presence, she always made it known that both of you were at her mercy for the five years you had signed up for with the company. 

One mission in particular turned out to be a tipping point for your partnership. It was when The Handler started actually making threats, obviously not content to let Five make changes as he saw fit any longer. 

The job was supposed to be simple. You were meant to kill a man in order to prevent him from somehow causing a car accident that would delay a woman from getting to her office on time. If she was late to her office, then an order didn't go out on time, and it set off a chain of events that amounted to the prevention of a certain military disaster from ever happening. 

You were never sure why it was your job to make sure disastrous events happened instead of preventing them. If you could save lives, then shouldn't that be the goal? Instead, you ended up taking lives just so more lives could be lost. You hated to think that with each kill, your soul was withering a bit more. You could feel yourself beginning to get used to it and you despised the thought, guilt churning your stomach to the point that you almost got sick after every job was completed. 

This time, the job was to just kill a man. But as always with the Temps Commission, whoever else got in the way was fair game. You were encouraged to take out your target before he caused the car accident. If you didn't, then it would just amount to another team being sent in to clean up after you. So far, you and Five hadn't screwed up a job. With this job, it was beginning to look like your success rate was about to take a dip. 

Five had the man in his sights the morning before the accident was supposed to happen. He would have made the kill shot. The only problem was that the wife had gotten in the way. At the last second, Five had called it off, saying that you would find another way to complete the job. You had one day to go until the car accident, so you knew the both of you were cutting it close, but you trusted Five’s judgement. 

Of course, by the time you got back to your motel room, The Handler was waiting on the bed Five had claimed. 

"I'm disappointed in the both of you," she started once you closed the door behind you and Five. "You should have completed the job this morning." 

"We ran into a complication," Five got out, staying between you and The Handler as if protecting you from her. 

You rolled your eyes and brushed past Five, moving to set down the purse you carried around that was conveniently large enough to hold the gun Arthur had gifted to you. You hated carrying the purse around, but you needed it to blend in from time to time. 

"You ran into the mark's wife," The Handler said, her head tilted as she regarded Five. "The last time I checked, that's not a complication. That's an acceptable piece of collateral damage." 

Five set his jaw, obviously intent on arguing. "I can find a way to get to him without getting the wife involved." 

"I think you've forgotten, Five, who really calls the shots around here. I'm your boss," The Handler reminded him, ducking her head to meet Five's gaze. "You do as I say and I say that next time you get to the point where you can kill your mark and someone expendable gets in the way, you take both of them out." 

"I can find another way," Five insisted, his words barely distinguishable since he was gritting his teeth. 

"And I'm saying you can't," The Handler responded. She sighed and stood up, dusting off the front of her dress as she straightened. "I would hate for you to keep fighting with me about this, Five. It's not wise," she warned. 

"And why's that?" Five asked, crossing his arms in defense. 

"Because I have some _truly_ unwell people I could send your sister after." 

You froze from where you had been walking towards the desk, intent on looking at the takeout menus stacked there. You noticed Five moving out of the corner of your eye and when you finally risked a glance at him, you noticed that his jaw was clenched in anger and his hands were shaking. "What?" He asked, his voice giving away how furious he must have been at the threat. 

"You heard me," The Handler said with a smirk. "Just because you two are partners doesn't mean you won't be going on solo missions from time to time. And if there's anything I know about your sister's unique abilities, it's that if I send her after some of the more psychotic people we have on our list and insist she uses her ability on them, then I'm sure it would do more harm to her than whatever we ask her to do to the mark." 

Five's eyes were wide in disbelief. He looked like he was considering taking out the gun he still had locked away in his case and shooting The Handler. After a few moments of trying to stare The Handler down, he sighed and shook his head. "Fine. We'll go back out this afternoon. We'll complete the job." 

“No matter what?” 

“No matter what,” Five confirmed with a sharp nod of his head. 

"Good," The Handler said with a wide grin. "Then I'll have no excuse to send you both on solo missions if you keep giving me the results I want." She grabbed the briefcase she had set by her feet and disappeared before you could even think to say anything. 

"Shit," Five hissed, throwing his case at the bed. 

You really couldn't help but agree with the sentiment. 

 

*** 

There was fire and chaos everywhere you looked. Hands pulled at you from every direction, the moans of the dead echoing all around you. Every turn of your head brought you face to face with someone you had personally put a bullet in, your heart pounding when each one gnashed their teeth at you and threatened to rip you apart. 

You tried to scream but a hand came up to clap over your mouth, the smell of decay strong as you tried to rip the hand away from your mouth. You felt yourself being dragged down, the heat of fire growing closer, and you tried to claw yourself away from where your former victims were trying to pull you down into the flames. 

A hand was held out to you from above, this one not grey with death and marred by dirt and burns. You instinctively knew it was offering salvation. You reached out to take it, feeling yourself being ripped away from the grasp of the dead. Just as you turned to look at your savior, you woke up in your childhood bedroom. 

"Rise and shine, sleepyhead," you heard, jolting you out of the nightmare. 

You blinked your eyes open, surprised to see Klaus sitting on the edge of your bed. 

You knew it was probably embarrassing, but you burst into tears, surging up to wrap your arms around him. 

"Hey, hey," he soothed, wrapping his arms tight around your waist. "I didn't know we were doing the teary reunion today." 

You couldn't help but let out a choked laugh, the sound wet and strained, into his shoulder. "Shut up, Klaus. Let me enjoy the moment." 

"I'm not going to argue with a pretty girl wrapped around me," he said, making his words sound suggestive enough that you knew you would likely be blushing if your face hadn’t already been flushed from crying. 

You rolled your eyes, reaching up to pinch his arm. 

"Hey! Ow!" He hissed and pulled back, a frown on his face. "What was that for?" 

"Just because," you said, a grin on your face. "How did you get out?" You thought about his sudden appearance and release from jail for a moment. "Wait. You didn't escape, right?" 

"Nope," he answered. "Went the boring, legal route. Being the brother of a Hollywood starlet had to have some perks. It turns out money will buy anything in this country and our dear Allison has a lot of it. Diego asked her to flash some of it around to get me out and here I am." He flung his arms out to the side, looking like he was just moments away from yelling 'ta-da!' "Guess dear old dad didn't feel like being so benevolent, but that doesn't surprise me," he said, his tone turning bitter for a moment. 

You were suddenly ready to forgive Allison for not leaving her movie to come see you. If it meant she could afford to spring Klaus from jail early, then you would welcome her with open arms the next time you saw her. 

“Where’s Diego?” You couldn’t help but ask. Diego had been sticking close to you since you came back, so you were surprised he hadn’t appeared with Klaus now. 

“He said he wanted to give us some time alone together. He’ll be back in the morning,” Klaus answered, reaching out to brush a strand of your hair behind your ear. “Just think of all the trouble we can get into without him here,” he added with a grin. 

You sniffled and brought him back in for a hug. "I've missed you," you breathed into his neck, feeling like you were finally home since Five had dropped you here days before. Being around Diego and Vanya had been close to what you had been craving for years, but nothing could really compare to finally having Klaus right there in front of you without anyone else around. 

"I missed you too," he said. He pulled back to look at you. "What the hell happened to you and Five?" 

You bit your lip, turning your head away so you wouldn't have to look at him. You wanted to spill everything to him. You knew that out of anyone, Klaus would judge you the least for what you had done. Your nightmare had made you hesitant, though. You had been foolish enough to try getting some rest after Vanya had left you earlier to go back to her own apartment, hoping that you would actually manage to get any semblance of a peaceful sleep. You should have known better, though. 

Your nightmares were always filled with the dead or tortured last moments of your previous kills. If Klaus could see the dead, then how many ghosts would he witness surrounding you now? How many people were going to spill your secrets for you? You knew that Klaus likely couldn't use his power now from what you remembered about his reliance on drugs to block out the dead, but one day he might. Would he be horrified to see your literal body count in front of his eyes and to hear them tell him about every horrible thing you had been forced to do to them? 

Klaus reached up to cup your face in his hands, his thumb brushing away a tear. You hadn't even realized that you had started crying again. "Hey," he whispered. "Whatever it is, you can tell me. Where's the Y/N who helped me steal Mom's shoes so I could try them on and then slapped Luther when he laughed at me for falling over in them? Where's the one girl I ever allowed to break my heart, huh? I want to talk to her. I want to talk to my best friend." He leaned forward to press a kiss to your forehead. As he pulled away, his expression quickly morphed from serious to playful and he batted his eyelashes at you, leaning back on the bed until he was propped up on his hands. "It's my first night free from jail. Let's do each other's nails, eat a ton of junk food, and have a sleepover. We can gossip just like old times." 

You couldn't help but grin at Klaus, glad that after so many years apart, he was still reassuringly himself. You also knew it was his attempt at putting you at ease so you would feel better about opening up to him. "Okay," you agreed, relieved that you didn't have to jump right into your confession. 

Klaus clapped his hands and bounded off the bed, grabbing a grocery bag he had set down on the floor by the door. "Great," he said as he dumped the contents on your bed. You glanced down at the three bottles of nail polish and array of face masks. "Snacks are in the kitchen," he added when you looked at him again. 

You raised an eyebrow at him. "How did you buy these if you just got out of jail?" 

"Oh, I made Diego buy all of this. He didn't want to at first, but when I said it was for you, he caved." Klaus winked at you as he sat back down in front of you. "So," he started as he considered a bottle of nail polish, as if trying to decide if he liked the color enough to use it. "What happened?" 

You shook your head, feeling a tide of confusing emotions wash over you. You didn't want to screw up your reunion with Klaus by bringing death and heartbreak into it, but you knew that you owed him an explanation. "I've done things," you admitted, hesitant to continue. 

"I've done things," Klaus argued, reaching out to grab your hand and squeezing until you glanced up at him. "Hell, I've done a lot of things," he assured you with another wink. 

"Vanya told me you used to think I wasn't dead because you couldn't see me." You weren't sure why you brought it up, but it had been on your mind since Vanya left you the day before, a whole box of Griddy's doughnuts taking up residence in the oven in an attempt to keep them from going stale. 

He let out an uncomfortable laugh. "Yeah," he said, scratching the back of his head and not meeting your eyes. "There were a lot of days I hoped I wouldn't see you. I kept thinking that if you did come back, I would never be sure if you were alive or dead." He reached out and wrapped his fingers around your wrist, a smirk on his face. "But here you are." 

You couldn't help but laugh again, finally taking a deep breath. You felt like you could finally ease into your story, doing your best to keep your voice steady as you started. "When Five jumped through time, it was one of the most amazing things I had ever seen," you confessed. "It was dark and snowing and then it was sunny and bright, all within a few seconds. I was so caught up in it that I didn't realize at first when he stopped jumping." 

"Uh-huh," Klaus said, finally screwing off the top of the bottle of nail polish in his hand. He held his hand out, gesturing for you to put your hand in his. Once you did, he started smoothing the polish over your nails, a look of concentration on his face. 

With Klaus so focused on painting your nails, you felt it easier to open up to him. "And when I looked around, it was like we were in another place. But it was the same." 

"What's that mean?" Klaus asked, carefully spreading the polish over the pinky nail of your right hand. 

"It was the end of the world," you answered, not sure how to really describe the horrors you'd seen in those first few days. You didn't want to mention finding the dead bodies of the others. You didn't want to talk about how seeing Klaus dead had broken something in you that you never realized could be broken. 

Klaus looked up from where he had been blowing on your nails, trying to dry them. "End of the world? Like the apocalypse? Were there zombies?" 

You swallowed and shook your head, glancing away from him. "There was nothing left. No people. No life at all. Something utterly destroyed the world and left nothing but rubble behind. Five and I were there by ourselves for about forty years." 

Klaus dropped your hand, his eyes going wide. "So you're what? Fifty something?" He sat back and considered you. "Gotta say, Y/N, you aged _really_ well." 

You rolled your eyes and shook your head. "No, I looked older. But whatever Five did, when he pushed me back to this time, put me into a body that's the appropriate age. I look like I'm twenty-nine, like I should be, but I guess my mind is really twice as old." 

"Huh," Klaus said, reaching out to grab your left hand to start painting the nails on that hand. "You like the color?" He asked, glancing up at you. 

You glanced down at your nails, noticing they were a dark blue. "Yeah," you answered. "What's it called?" 

"Midnight Blue," Klaus said, shaking the bottle at you briefly, before he started painting your nails again. "So, what else happened?" 

You sighed and had to stop yourself from clenching your hands into fists, feeling your anxiety spike at just the thought of the Temps Commission and The Handler. You didn't want to talk about killing people for a job. It had started as a way to get back to Klaus and the others, but it quickly turned into a fight for survival. The Handler and Temps Commission had well and truly fucked you up and you were terrified that you would let on just how badly they had managed to get to you in only five years. Hell, it didn't even take the full five years for them to start chipping away at you bit by bit. 

Klaus finished your nails and handed you a bottle of black nail polish. He waggled his eyebrows and grinned at you. "Now do me," he told you with a wink. 

You huffed out a laugh and took his hand in yours. You had to concentrate more than you expected, since you hadn't painted your nails in over four decades and it was even more difficult to paint someone else's. 

As you had your head bowed, focused on your task, you launched into telling the story of your time with the Temps Commission. You were probably taking way too long to paint Klaus' nails, but you knew that if you looked up and saw whatever expression was on his face as you confessed to murdering people and being forced to serve a company that made killing people its business, then you were sure that you would stop. You knew that you had to get everything out, though. Klaus deserved a full explanation from you and you were determined to see it through. 

By the time you finished a second coat on his nails, you were just wrapping up your story. You took a deep breath, twisting the top back onto the bottle of nail polish, still refusing to meet Klaus' eyes. 

"So, you're like a badass assassin now," he pointed out, his tone thoughtful. 

You flinched, hating the thought that Klaus would only see you as a killer now. 

"Hey," Klaus whispered, reaching out to tip your chin up until you looked at him. "Thank you," he told you earnestly, offering you a small, genuine smile. "It sounds like you've been through hell." 

"I did go through hell," you agreed. "But Five and I needed to get back to you. To all of you," you added, hoping it wasn't so obvious that Klaus was and would probably always be one of your first priorities. You had been separated by circumstances beyond your control, but you were sure that you would have gone through hundreds of years of torture just to be here with him now. 

Klaus examined his nails before he clapped his hands. "Good work, Y/N," he said as he stood from the bed and held his hands out to you. "Now let's go get drunk." 

You grinned up at him and grabbed his hands, letting him pull you off the bed. It was refreshing to you that you could always trust Klaus to be able to distract you, even if sometimes you had to struggle to keep up with his seemingly random mood swings. 

Klaus led the way to the living room, both of you hiding from sight when you caught sight of Pogo at the end of a hallway. Klaus ducked down, holding a finger to his lips as he pulled you down a different hallway. You felt like a kid again as Klaus brought you on a winding detour to the living room. By the time you got there, you were breathless with laughter at all of Klaus' obvious attempts to get you to smile, feeling free for the first time in years. You felt like you were a kid again, sneaking around the mansion and trying to get away with stealing alcohol from the bar in the living room and staying up late. You knew you had missed a lot of moments like this when Five accidentally dropped both of you in the apocalypse, so to get just a glimpse of what could have been now felt bittersweet. 

Klaus put you on lookout while he liberated a bottle of vodka from the bar in the living room. He held it up in triumph, affecting a terrible Russian accent. "Prepare to get smashed, my dear," he said, dancing his way over to you. 

From there, you made your way to the kitchen, narrowly avoiding Grace when she left the kitchen. Klaus cursed and almost dropped the bottle of vodka, handing it over to you when you held your hand out for it. 

"Children," you heard Grace muse with a shake of her head, but she didn't try to stop either you or Klaus from raiding the kitchen. You couldn't help but think that she was probably secretly amused by the antics of you and Klaus. 

You grabbed the bag of junk food he bought with Diego, which included cookie dough, chips, and dip. 

"Isn't it a bad idea to eat raw cookie dough?" You couldn't help but ask, staring down at the tube in your hands. 

"We're retired superheroes," Klaus told you, grabbing it from you and taking back off down the hallway in the direction of your room. "We're used to making terrible choices and defying death, right?" 

You helped Klaus drop your haul on the floor of your old childhood bedroom. He considered your room for a few moments, his fingers steepled under his chin. Finally, he sighed and shook his head. "No. This just won't do. Come on," he beckoned you with a wave of his hand. "We're not quite done yet." 

You weren't sure what you expected for Klaus to have in store for you, but it definitely wasn't stripping the beds from the other bedrooms around yours. You made several trips back and forth from the former bedrooms of your siblings, carrying sheets and pillows, marveling over the fact that Klaus had not only refused to make you feel like shit for your past, but was actively trying to make you feel better. You had always known, though, that if anyone was going to understand you more than Five, it would be Klaus. Despite years apart, it felt like you were falling back together as if you had never been separated in the first place. 

Half an hour later, you stood back and considered the blanket fort that now took up most of your room. 

"It's beautiful," Klaus breathed, clutching his hands to his chest. "Can't forget these," he said as he turned and grabbed the pillows he had stolen from the other bedrooms. "Here," he called as he tossed you one. 

You both climbed into the blanket fort moments later, getting comfortable on the floor. 

"And now for the pièce de résistance," Klaus said as he reached out and turned on the lamp in the middle of the fort. "Ah. Now we can see," he told you with a wink. He glanced over his shoulder and grumbled something under his breath. "I'm making room for you!" He snapped as he shifted to the side, sharing a look with you as if you understood what he was talking about. 

"I'm not even anywhere near you," you pointed out. 

"Exactly!" Klaus said before he snatched up the bottle of vodka from where it had been resting near the lamp along with the rest of your supplies. "Now," he started, shooting you a wicked grin. "How about a little truth or dare?" 

As the night progressed, you and Klaus managed to get increasingly drunk. You worked your way through the snacks and spent more time laughing than you had in the past forty-five years combined. Klaus passed the time by telling you one outrageously ridiculous story after another, a delighted grin on his face every time you laughed at his words. 

By the time the sun was beginning to rise, you were both in Allison's room, combing through clothes she had left behind. 

"How about this one?" Klaus asked as he twirled around in a pink and red plaid skirt. 

You hummed as you thought about it, shaking your head. "It does nothing for your legs. You should keep looking." 

Klaus groaned and shimmied out of the skirt, his shirt and pants already lost somewhere in the mound of clothes that had been growing on Allison's floor. He put his hands on his hips as he considered the choices still left in the closet. 

"Okay, this one?" You were wearing a black blouse that had a belt with a big buckle on the front. 

Klaus turned to look at you, a grin lighting up his face. "Beautiful as always," he said before he reached out to grab your hand, twirling you. You both laughed, tipsy enough that you didn't mind when he began to dance with you around the room, not feeling self-conscious at all because you were with Klaus. 

Once you both got literally sick of dancing, having to prop yourself against the wall in an effort to not throw up, you picked up the almost empty bottle of vodka and took a swig, still cringing at the sharp taste. 

Klaus was back at the closet, his hands pulling aside skirts and blouses in an effort to find one he liked. 

You joined him, stepping out of the pair of shorts you had been wearing just moments before, not caring that you were standing there in your underwear. He nudged you with his elbow, shooting you a wide grin, before you both spotted the black skirt with the frills on it. 

"Dibs!" Klaus called. 

"Mine!" You said as you both reached out, playing tug-of-war with it and trying to put it on at the same time. 

"Having fun?" You heard from the doorway of the room. 

Diego was leaning up against the door frame to the room, watching the both of you. He raised an eyebrow at the sight of you and Klaus drunkenly fighting over a skirt, both of you with one leg inside and refusing to budge so you both stood there half in and out of it. 

"Diego!" Klaus called. "Come join us." 

"I'll pass," Diego said with a shake of his head. "Why don't you come eat something for breakfast? I’m sure actual food will do you two a world of good." He glanced from Klaus to you, his eyebrows raising further in surprise. "And maybe put some clothes on?" He added before he turned and left the room, an obvious smirk on his face. 

You were suddenly uncomfortably aware of the fact that you were standing there in Allison's shirt and your underwear, fighting Klaus for a skirt that definitely did not hide the fact that you were half-naked. 

"Shit," you hissed as you dropped to the floor and grabbed the first item of clothing you could find. It turned out to be a pair of grey slacks that thankfully fit. 

Klaus yelled in triumph once he pulled the skirt you had been fighting over on, wriggling his hips as he turned to grin at you. "I won," he claimed, diving down to grab his shirt from the floor. 

"Only because Diego showed up," you grumbled, still drunk enough to feel petulant about Klaus winning. 

"Don't worry, darling," he said, his voice going high with a fake British accent. "I look better in it," he said before he winked and took off, leaving you in the chaos the both of you had made of Allison's room. 

"Like hell!" You called as you took off after him, feeling happy and carefree for the first time in years as you followed the sound of Klaus' laughter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Obviously things aren't going to stay so light. There's a lot of skeletons in both of their closets, but I wanted to give them this moment before shit hits the fan. Also, do not eat raw cookie dough. It's tempting as hell, I know, but potential poisoning and death is not worth it. 
> 
> Also, I basically plan on writing a sequel that takes place during season one. Because...well, I have to. But my question for the wonderful people still reading this, is what are your feelings about the Dave storyline? Because I wrote a scene that deals with it and it would be angsty as fuck. Like, it gets heavy. So, would y'all prefer to keep the sequel lighter or really deal with some drama? I'd really like some insight on this issue. Thank you to everyone who gives this fic a chance. ♥ 
> 
> If you're interested in reader inserts for Stranger Things and Walking Dead, please feel free to check out my other reader inserts. I'm also planning a Vampire Diaries fic that will be Klaus Mikaelson/Reader, so if you're at all interested, please let me know. ♥


	7. Don't Wanna Give You All My Demons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof please don't hate me for this one. This chapter gets a bit violent and very angsty. There's mentions of murder and some gore and torture. It gets a bit intense.
> 
> Songs for this chapter:  
> Mad World by Gary Jules  
> The Run and Go by Twenty One Pilots

It only took a few months for both of you to slip. You had both grown too confident in your ability to complete a job that you started to forget about The Handler's threats. 

Your success rate with your missions continued and both you and Five made sure to follow the directions you were given. You would have kept on being the perfect agents, until you received the job that required torture. It was basically spelled out for you and Five that you were meant to make someone scream until they gave up all the information they had and then you were meant to kill them. But it was specified that you were meant to use your power to get into the man's head and manipulate him into spilling all of his secrets when he woke up. You were meant to trap him in his nightmares until he was ready to give up. But Five told you that he had another way of completing the mission. You knew, really, that he was just trying to make sure that you wouldn't have to use your power for torture. 

You were glad not to have to do it, but a small part of you felt fear at the thought that The Handler wouldn't like any deviation from your mission. 

When Five managed to get the information from the target, you hoped that everything would be fine. The end result was still the same and even though different methods were used, you hoped that it could be overlooked. You should have known better, though. 

The Handler came to you not long after your mission was completed. You knew from the first sight of the smirk on her face that whatever she was going to say would not bode well for you or Five. 

"I have another mission for the two of you," The Handler explained. She handed Five a folder and then turned to hand you one. 

"Why two folders?" You couldn't help but ask. Usually, you and Five were given only one folder outlining the details of your mission. 

"You'll see," The Handler said, not bothering to really answer you. 

You met Five's eyes for a moment before you finally opened your folder. You felt your breath leave you at the sight of the words printed on the first page. "A solo mission? You're splitting us up?" 

"I did tell you it was possible," The Handler said, idly smoothing out the front of her dress. "It's time for both of you to go your separate ways. But don't worry," she offered with another smirk. "I'm sure this one won't be too difficult for you." She was gone before you could even think to protest. 

One look at Five had you feeling for one brief moment as if you wanted to cry. You rarely let your fear get the best of you, but now you knew that there wasn't anything good in store for you. 

It turned out that you were being sent after a man named Daniel Moore. Moore was being held in a mental institution after killing a dozen people in terrible and gruesome ways. There were several pages of notes from his many therapy sessions that left you with a sour taste in your mouth. You were supposed to go after Moore, force him to go to sleep, use his nightmares against him, and kill him. 

Moore was supposed to escape from the facility where he was being held and kill a politician. The politician was meant to pass a bill that was apparently important to the Temps Commission, since they were adamant that Moore be stopped. What you didn't understand was why you had to use your power on him. Why were you being sent after Moore by yourself? Surely something so delicate should have been a job big enough for both you and Five. But from the glance you got at Five's file, it seemed that he was being sent off by himself to kill a woman before she set off a chain of events that prevented an important disaster from happening in a country in eastern Europe. 

"It will be okay," Five assured you. He sighed and handed you the briefcase. "You're supposed to take this and I'm supposed to wait for The Handler to come back with one for me." 

"Okay," you agreed, taking a deep breath. "I'll see you after?" You didn't mean for it to come out as a question, but you couldn't help it. You weren't sure what you were about to face, but you knew that it was something you didn't want to face alone. Would you come back from this? You weren't sure and it was that uncertainty that had you questioning your resolve to carry through with the mission. 

You shared one final look with Five before you used the briefcase to take you to your destination. 

You planned on waiting for Moore to escape before putting him to sleep. You didn't want to break into the institution and you knew that if you timed it right, then no one else would see you. 

It was a bitterly cold night as you waited for Moore to clamber over the fence that lined the institution. Snow was covering the ground and lending an almost eerie stillness to the night. You couldn't help but notice the way your breath puffed out in front of you in a cloud and every sound that echoed around you made you jump. 

You almost didn't see Moore until it was too late. He had somehow slipped your notice and by the time you spotted him making his way through the snow, you had to rush to catch up to him. 

You were trying to be careful about not being heard, but he must have been on high alert, because he whirled around and spotted you. 

"Hello there," he said, a sick grin twisted onto his face. "Are you lost?" 

"Far from it," you told him. "You should go to sleep," you added, watching as his eyes rolled up and his body slumped to the ground. 

You walked closer to the man, watching him for a few moments, before steeling yourself. You knew, from Moore's file, that what you would find in his head wouldn't be pleasant, but you still weren't prepared for the images that invaded your mind. 

You could hear screams and pleads from his victims. There were flashes of bloody knives and Moore's smirk as he sliced into a woman for the hundredth time. There was a torrent of violent images that paraded before your eyes and you gasped, your hold on Moore slipping enough for him to wake up. 

You didn't even initially realize that Moore was awake. You were so lost in what you witnessed in his mind that you couldn't think for a moment. You felt dazed as you glanced up to see Moore getting to his feet, a curious expression on his face as he regarded you. From what you knew about Moore, and now you knew entirely _too much_ , if he was curious about you, then it wouldn't end well for you. 

You weren't quite thinking as you backed away from the man, your hands held out in front of you in an effort to hold him off. 

You felt your breath leave you in a rush when you fell to the ground. There was a rock sticking uncomfortably in your lower back and you scrambled to push yourself back. The man kept moving forward, a crazed gleam in his eyes as he advanced on you. 

What you had seen in his mind, in his dreams, had shaken you. He enjoyed killing people. He liked taking lives and leaving devastation in his wake. Where you constantly struggled with killing people, the man before you took delight in it. 

This job wasn't going right. The man was supposed to be asleep when you killed him. Now, he was awake and you couldn't even think long enough to knock him out again. You were so rattled by the man before you that you had even momentarily forgotten about your gun. 

You wondered for a moment if The Handler had known, somehow, that this would happen. Was this job meant to kill you? Five would be devastated, but you knew that he would continue to work on getting back to the others. Stopping the apocalypse and saving the rest of your family was what motivated you and Five. You were sure that even without you, Five wouldn't forget what was most important. 

You backed up even further, trying to will yourself to get up and run, but you couldn't. 

"Don’t be scared, little girl," Moore said, his grin widening as he got closer. "I had plans, but I guess I can delay them to play with you first." 

You saw him prepare to lunge at you and you held your arms up in front of your face. "No!" You yelled, feeling in that very moment as if you could block the man from touching you. You didn't want him anywhere near you in that moment. You wanted to get back to your motel room and get the fuck back to Five. 

It took you a few moments to realize that the man wasn't hurting you. He wasn't attacking you. You opened your eyes, almost expecting to see that the man had decided to leave in search of his target. Instead, you found yourself separated from the man by a flickering, light blue wall. 

"What the fuck?" You gasped. It reminded you strangely of Five's power whenever he jumped from one place to the next or prepared to use his power. But this wall wasn't a product of Five's powers. You could still see the man on the other side, his hands coming up to hit the wall. And you could feel _that_. You weren't sure how or why, but you knew that you had created the wall. 

It took you a few seconds to compose yourself, wondering if you had just manifested a new power, before you made yourself tune back into the power you were familiar with. 

"Sleep," you commanded the man, hoping that your power still worked with the wall in place, because you sure as hell weren't all that eager to let it slip. 

The man swayed and finally fell to the ground. You got to your feet, shaky and weak, and managed to stumble forward. You took a deep breath and closed your eyes, imagining the wall coming down. You weren't sure how you created it, but it must have been triggered by you wanting to separate yourself from Moore. If you could just convince yourself that you were safe and didn't need it anymore, then maybe it would go away. You took a few deep breaths to center yourself and calm down and when you opened your eyes, you found that the wall was no longer there. 

You cautiously pulled your gun out from where it had been tucked into your waistband. You had been so set on getting away from Moore and the absolute nightmare on your mind that this was the first moment you felt clear enough to take a shot at him. You didn't care what The Handler wanted in that moment. She wanted you to get into his head? Fine. You had done that, however briefly you had managed to hold it. But you weren't going there again. You didn't want to see all of the fucked up imaginings of Moore's mind, even if you were able to manipulate it. You couldn't risk it. 

Instead, you aimed the gun at Moore's head and pulled the trigger. 

By the time you got back to your motel room, you felt like you could hardly breathe. That had almost been a worst-case scenario. You almost died. You were going to let yourself be killed at the hands of a madman. And why? Because they didn't prepare you for what you would find in his head. The man liked torturing people. You had caught flashes of him licking his victim's blood off his knives and carving into people until their screams died out. It was one grotesque image after another and he loved every moment of it. They weren't nightmares to Moore. To him, they were sweet, pleasant dreams. 

Five and The Handler were supposed to meet you here so Five could hand over his borrowed briefcase and you and Five could leave for your next assignment. You weren't sure when they were supposed to show up, but you didn't really care. You made sure to set your gun on the motel room desk and went into the bathroom. You turned the shower on, making the water as hot as you'd be able to take it. You didn't even take your clothes off before your got in, sitting on the floor of the bathtub and wrapping your arms around your knees. At that moment, you felt ancient. You felt like you had lived centuries and not almost sixty years. 

There were deep, disturbing echoes of Moore's dreams floating around your mind. You tried not to think about them, instead focusing on the way the water was warming your skin. Despite your best efforts, you weren't successful in distracting yourself. 

You didn't even notice that there was someone knocking on the door. The water had turned cool at some point and you were shivering, but all you could think about was Moore and his dreams. There was so much blood and screaming. There were cries for mercy and begging for an end, and Moore had taken pleasure in each and every one of them. You weren't even quite sure if they were memories or something Moore had created for himself, but by the sick, twisting feeling in your gut, you had a feeling they were the former. 

The door to the bathroom was kicked in and you yelped, thinking for a moment that Moore had come for you. Even though it took you a few seconds to remember that Moore was dead with a bullet to his head, you still had sought to protect yourself. When you glanced over, it was to see the blue wall back, but this time it was keeping Five from getting closer to you. 

He considered the wall in front of him for a moment, his eyes wide in surprise. "A force field?" He looked to you before raising an eyebrow. "That's new." 

"Yeah," you got out on a sigh. "I needed it." 

Five considered you for a moment before he nodded towards the force field. "Can you drop it?" 

You shrugged your shoulders before closing your eyes. Now that you knew that Five was the person on the other side of the wall you had put up, it was much easier to get it to disappear than when you had been confronted by Moore. 

The second it was gone, Five was moving forward. You flinched away from him, but he didn't move to reach out to you again. He simply turned off the water of the shower, staring down at you with his brows furrowed. "Need help?" 

You took a few moments to consider Five's offer before you nodded your head. You were shaking and freezing. You couldn't get Moore out of your head and it was making you sick to your stomach. You let Five help you to your feet, being careful not to slip in the bathtub, before you let him pull you into the bedroom. He nudged you towards the bed and grabbed a towel, moving to wrap it around your shoulders. 

Once you'd reached up to pull the towel closer around yourself, Five crouched until he was meeting your eyes. "What happened?" 

You shook your head, not able to speak. You were shivering and your teeth were chattering. "The Handler made good on her word," you finally managed to get out after a couple of minutes. 

Five sighed and moved to sit beside you on the bed. "I'm still working on the equations," he offered after a few moments. "But I haven't forgotten why we're doing this. Have you?" 

You shook your head, knowing that Five was trying to give you something to fight for, even if you wanted to run at the moment. You squeezed your eyes shut, the screams of Moore's victims still ringing in your ears, even if you had only heard them in his mind. Five moved to put an arm around you, drawing you closer to his side until you could rest your head on his shoulder. 

"Well, am I interrupting one of your sibling bonding moments?" 

You glanced up to see The Handler standing near the door to the motel room. You had a sudden, frightening impulse to snap her neck. There was a blinding rage washing over you that urged you to lash out at The Handler. You blinked a few times, struggling to let go of the anger you felt. You wondered if maybe Moore had affected you more than you thought, before you focused on her again. 

"No," Five snapped. "Why are you still here? I thought you left." 

"I have more assignments for the both of you." 

You noticed she had two file folders again and felt yourself freeze. "Not again," you mumbled, worried that you would have to act without Five again. You couldn't take another Moore so soon. 

"Oh, don't worry," The Handler said as she glanced at you. "I'm only sending Five off by himself. You, Y/N, will be working with two new recruits." 

Five scoffed and shook his head. "My sister is better than working with newbies. We got your message loud and clear. So why aren't we working together again?" 

"Let's call this a test," The Handler said. "If you complete your new missions to my satisfaction, then I will let the both of you go on a mission together again. If you don't, then well..." she trailed off, letting the threat speak for itself. 

"Fine," Five snapped. He reached out to grab his file, his fingers wrapped tight around the edges. 

"Y/N, you're coming with me," The Handler said. "I want you to meet your new partners." 

You shared one fearful glance with Five, still trying to adjust after handling Moore. Not to mention, you were still soaked from the shower, but you doubted The Handler would give you time to change before you left. You moved to pick up your gun from the motel room desk. Once it was in your hand, The Handler reached out to grab your wrist and before you could think to say anything to Five, she opened the briefcase in her other hand and you were gone. 

When you glanced around, you realized you were back at the training facility. You hoped for one brief moment that you would be able to see Arthur again, but that was crushed when The Handler led you towards a building that didn't look familiar to you. 

She beckoned for you to follow her towards a door just off the main hallway of the building, moving to open it and ushering you inside the room. 

You were met with the sight of a man and woman. The man was tall and imposing, but something about the expression on his face told you that he wasn't as threatening as he seemed. The woman was shorter and from the glare she was sending your way, you assumed she was the one you would have to watch out for. There was a determination to her expression that made you wonder if The Handler had brought you here to be killed. 

"Y/N, this is Hazel and Cha-Cha. Your partners for this mission." 

"They're the new recruits?" You asked, nodding over towards the pair. They didn’t look like they were new to the Temps Commission. Even though the man seemed a little nervous, they both looked as if they were fully aware of what was expected of them. They looked as if they were already used to the job. 

"Yes," The Handler answered. "And you're going to break them in. Think you can do that?" She asked as she handed you the file with your mission outline in it. 

It was yet another threat that went unspoken. She was telling you to do this or there would be consequences later. You didn't want to be away for Five for a moment longer, so you found yourself nodding your head. 

"Good," The Handler said as she gifted you with a grin. "I'll be back to collect you and bring you to Five once your job is over." 

She left the room and you turned to look at your new partners. 

After a few moments of awkward silence, the woman spoke up. "Why are you wet?" 

"The Handler didn't give me enough time to dry off." You sighed and walked over to the table and placed the file and your gun on the surface. You flipped open the file, skimming the contents as you hoped that this mission would be brief. 

"I thought Five worked alone," you heard the man speak up. "I've heard rumors about his partner, but I didn't think they were true. You're practically a ghost story." 

"Yeah, well," you said on a sigh. "Here I am," you added as you kept reading. You flipped the file closed after you had a general understanding of the mission and motioned towards the briefcase waiting on the table. "Let's get to work." 

As you worked with Hazel and Cha-Cha, you noticed a few things. Cha-Cha didn't trust you. She constantly undermined any of your input for the mission, even though you technically had seniority. Hazel seemed oddly wary of you, as if he was worried you were going to snap and kill him. You wondered about the rumors that must have been floating around the Temps Commission about you and Five. Did they say you were dangerous? Did they detail your success rate with every mission? You weren't sure, but by the way Hazel seemed to shy away from you, you were beginning to think that there had been a lot said about you and Five to give off the impression that the both of you weren't to be messed with. 

And really, it probably wasn't that far off base. By the time the mission was drawing to a close, you had snapped at Hazel and Cha-Cha more times than were comfortable with. It felt like Moore was still in your head, as if before he died, his subconscious had latched onto yours. Your dreams had morphed into nightmares that were plagued by the memories of Moore's victims. Some nights, when you woke up gasping for breath, you swore you could taste blood in your mouth. 

One time, after a too-long day in which Cha-Cha questioned your every move, you snapped yet again. "I could break you," you hissed at her, feeling an unusual anger tearing at you. "It wouldn't take much," you said, your hands shaking with barely suppressed rage. 

"Oh, yeah?" She smirked at you. "I know about your little team-up with Five. Word around the office is that he does all the work and you sit on your ass." 

You bared your teeth at her, swearing for a moment that you could feel an undeniable urge to kill. Whatever expression you made had her backing off, her eyes wide in shock. "Don't make me get in your head," you spat before turning away and carrying on with your part of the surveillance that you had been tasked with. 

It had taken you half an hour to calm down and convince yourself that killing your partner on a mission would likely land you in The Handler's ill graces forever. 

By the time you were back with Five, you were sure that you were almost back to normal. The mission had been fairly straightforward, but it still felt like the Moore job had tarnished your mind forever. Maybe it was getting into the mind of a psychopath or literally tasting for a just a moment the need for murder that had set you off track. You weren't sure, but by the long look Five gave you once you were reunited, you were worried that he could tell as well.

***

Breakfast that morning was equal parts amusing and tense. Your dad sat at the head of the table, ignoring the antics of Klaus as he scribbled something in his journal. You didn't miss the way he kept glancing at you, though. He seemed thoughtful as he studied you. From years of experience with Reginald Hargreeves, you knew it couldn't mean anything good for you.

"I'm not letting you borrow a knife," Diego told Klaus as slapped away Klaus' hand from grabbing one of the knives holstered to his side. "Not after last time." 

"What happened last time?" You couldn't help but ask, raising a brow in confusion. 

"You don't want to know," Diego muttered, glaring down at the eggs on his plate. 

"Oh, come on, Diego. It won't be like last time," Klaus promised as he tried his luck again at grabbing one of Diego's knives. 

Before you could ask Diego or Klaus to enlighten you with the story, your father cut you off. 

"Number Eight," he called. 

You winced and turned to look at the man. "Yes?" 

"Tell me about your time away from the Academy." 

You were aware of Diego and Klaus freezing in their seats as they both turned to look at your dad. 

You really shouldn't have been surprised that he didn't even bother to phrase it as a request. It was a demand. As if he had any right to know what you had gone through. You told Klaus. Of course you told Klaus. In time, you would tell Diego and Vanya and possibly the others. But you didn't feel that Reginald Hargreeves had earned your trust. 

You found yourself staring silently at your father, hardly blinking. "I can't," you finally said, shaking your head. You glanced back down at your breakfast, suddenly not hungry. 

You were surprised when your father didn't push the issue, but you should have known better. You listened to Klaus intentionally rile up Diego, a grin slowly forming on your face with every word. From the wink he sent your way, you had a feeling it was all for your benefit. 

By the time you, Diego, and Klaus were in the living room, you had almost forgotten about your father's request. Having Klaus back in your life had helped you more than you had expected. There were ghosts rattling around your mind of every dark and evil person The Handler had sent you after, but around Klaus, they all seemed to vanish from your thoughts. 

In time, you were sure that with not only Klaus, but Diego and Vanya as well, you would be able to find peace with yourself and your powers. Maybe you would even feel comfortable using them again. You were sure that as the apocalypse drew closer, you would need to find a way to call on the true extent of your powers. You only hoped that Five would come back to you before doomsday hit. He had been your partner for most of your life and without him, you weren't sure if you had a chance at stopping the end of the world. 

Klaus was telling you and Diego about the time he tried to put out a fire with nothing but a pair of fishnet stockings when Grace interrupted him. 

"Oh, Diego and Klaus?" She called from the doorway, an indulgent smile on her face as she regarded the three of you. 

"Yeah, Mom?" Diego answered, turning to look at her. 

"Could you boys help me with something in the kitchen? It will only take a moment." 

You frowned at the request, wondering what Grace could possibly need help with, but you weren't sure if you should question her. 

"Sure," Diego readily agreed, standing up from the couch opposite the one you were sitting on. 

"Be right there, Mom," Klaus said, turning to look at you. "I'll be right back," he promised before he pressed a kiss to your forehead and stood. He moved to follow Diego, clapping a hand to his back. "So, anyway, about that fire." 

Diego held up a hand to cut off the rest of Klaus' story. "If you have any respect for me, then you'll shut up right now." 

Klaus sighed before shaking his head. "Oh, Diego. You know that won't stop me." 

You didn't hear what else was said, because they turned the corner and left your sight. You sat there on the couch for a few moments, not sure what to do, before you noticed that Pogo was standing at the far entrance to the living room, studying you. 

"Yes, Pogo?" You had a feeling you knew what this was about, but you hoped you were wrong. 

"If you'd be so kind as to follow me, Miss Y/N." Pogo waited for you to stand up before he turned around. 

You had a feeling in the pit of your stomach that grew sharper with each step you took. You knew he was taking you to your father. You knew that your dad wasn't satisfied by your answer at breakfast. You knew that there was no possible way that this could go well. Still, you knew that your father was a persistent man and he would only keep asking and pushing. If you could somehow convince him to let it go, then maybe you wouldn't have to relive your past so soon after baring your soul to Klaus. 

You wished for one moment that you still had the gun Arthur had given to you. When Five had dropped you back at the Academy, you realized that the gun wasn’t with you. You knew it was back in Dallas and you hoped that when Five finally caught up to you, he would have it with him. It had become like a security blanket to you, making you feel safe even when the situation didn’t warrant a weapon. 

Pogo led you to your father's study. You had rarely been invited inside the room when you were younger, but now you wished that you could leave. You glanced at Pogo, noticing he looked almost apologetic as he left the room and closed the door behind him. 

"Sit, Number Eight," your father said, gesturing at the chair in front of his desk. 

You hesitated for a moment before finally moving to sit in the chair. "What's this about?" 

"I think you know, Number Eight." 

You sighed and shook your head. "I already told you. I can't tell you." 

"Then show me," your father said, leaning forward in his seat. "Show me how your power has grown since you've been gone. It must have amplified in the time that you were away. I need to know the full range of your powers." 

You narrowed your eyes at your father. "I'm not sure how I can show you without using my power on you. You never let me, remember?" 

"I'm giving you permission now," Hargreeves said, meeting your eyes. There was a challenge in them. You couldn't help but feel like he was somehow tricking you. 

"I'm not going to," you told him, glancing away from him. "I'm not a child anymore. You can't make me." 

"There is a lot more at stake here than your pride, Number Eight." 

"My name is Y/N," you snapped. "I'm not a number. I'm not a superhero." If anything, after everything the Temps Commission had done to you, you felt like a villain. "I'm not going to use my power." 

"You are," Hargreeves said, seemingly unconcerned with your words. "You are a member of the Umbrella Academy, no matter how long you were away. You have a duty to your team and the world. I suggest you honor that." 

From the way your father had said 'away,' he made it sound like you had gone off on a vacation and not been taken into the end of days. "You can't make me," you repeated, ignoring how the words echoed ones you had used as a child when you didn’t want to train. You fought the urge to cross your arms, not wanting your father to know you were feeling defensive. 

"Number Eight," your father called, pulling your attention back to him. "If you do not show me the true measure of your powers, then I will have no choice but to have Number Four thrown back in jail." 

You froze at the threat. He couldn't be serious. "Are you fucking kidding me?" 

"Language!" Hargreeves snapped. "And I am quite serious, Number Eight. I know of your connection with Number Four. I know that Number Two and Three worked to free him from jail. But if you do not cooperate with me, then I will put him back in a cell until you see fit to listen to me." 

"Shut up," you said, shaking your head. You wouldn't see Klaus go back to jail. You couldn't do that to him. He wasn't meant to be locked up. He was meant to be free. 

"Number Eight, you will show me now." 

"Shut up," you repeated, hating that Reginald Hargreeves had yet again managed to get to you. All it took was one threat and you were weak. The Temps Commission may have done a lot to you, but they had never quite managed to take away your care for your loved ones. And Klaus was the one you loved the most. He was the one you would sacrifice everything for without a second thought. But that didn't mean it didn't hurt to think about using your powers again. Your powers were the reason you felt so broken now. If you didn't have them, then you never would have had to invade the minds of some of the most sick and twisted individuals you had ever faced. They still wouldn't be parading around your mind, their thoughts and feelings having imprinted on your own nightmares. They wouldn't be haunting you now. 

"I will call the authorities and have Number Four escorted from this house if you do not show me your powers _now!_ " 

"Shut up! Shut up! SHUT UP!" You yelled, hating that you couldn't stop your power from lashing out instinctively. Hargreeves didn't know that you didn't need to put him to sleep. He didn't know that with each tortured individual The Handler punished you with, your powers had grown stronger, as if in an effort to protect you. Discovering your talent for force fields had only been the start of your exploration with how far your powers could grow. 

"Reginald, darling, you have to go without me." 

There was a woman lying on a bed to your right. She looked sick and frail. She was reaching out to Hargreeves, her hand shaking. This was what he dreamt about? You didn't understand and while you truly didn't mean to use your power, it had happened anyways. You felt shaky as you stared at the woman, the projection of Reginald Hargreeves' nightmare. You glanced to him in confusion. You had never seen him look so haunted before. 

He cleared his throat, waving his hand at the projection as if he could make it disappear. "That's enough, Number Eight." 

You blinked and dropped the image, feeling nearly disgusted with yourself for caving to the pressure and showing your power. You had found out the hard way that when you were under duress, your power had practically done whatever it took to shield you. In some ways, it seemed to have a mind of its own. With force fields came the realization that you could bring nightmares to life as Hargreeves had suspected when you were younger. It was something you barely had to think about now. You had also found out that if you concentrated hard enough, then you could put someone in a coma. Your power had grown and you felt like it had turned you into a monster. To have used it now, you felt like you were going to be sick. 

"I see you have been working on your power. Very well. Leave now," your father commanded, gesturing towards the door of his study. 

You didn't want to be so easily dismissed. You had so many questions. Why was he so hellbent on seeing your powers? Who was the woman? Why did he dream of her? Was he scared of her? "But-" you started, but were cut off by Hargreeves. 

"Leave me, Number Eight!" He yelled, causing you to flinch. 

You were startled enough that you felt tears begin to well in your eyes. "I told you I didn't want to," you reminded him, feeling violated and wrong as you pushed yourself up out of the chair. "You should have listened to me," you told him before you turned to leave his study. 

"Number Eight," you heard him call as you rushed from the room, letting the door slam into the wall behind you in your haste to get away from the man who had always claimed to be your father. He didn't feel like your father. Your father, your _dad_ , was supposed to care for you and nurture you. You had never felt like Reginald Hargreeves had ever truly cared about you. It had always been about your power. 

You weren't looking where you were going and slammed into something. 

"Fuck," you hissed, almost flinching away from the hands that came up to steady you. 

"Hey," Klaus' voice rang out from in front of you. "Are you okay?" His hands came up to cup your face, cautiously brushing away the tears that had fallen in your rush to get away from your father. 

"What did he do to you?" Diego asked, his voice strained. "Did he hurt you?" 

"No. Yes." You shook your head, wincing at the memory of your encounter with Hargreeves just moments before. "Not really." 

Diego sighed and reached out to put his hand on your shoulder briefly. "Make sure she's okay," he said as he glanced at Klaus. "I need to have some words with our _father_ ," he snapped as he stalked away in the direction of Hargreeves' study. 

The way he said the word 'father,' made you think that he considered the man to be anything but a parental figure. At the moment, you really couldn't help but agree.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't promise it gets better for the reader in the next chapter, because it actually gets worse, but it does eventually get better. And Klaus will feature more prominently in the next one. I think we can all agree that The Handler and Reginald Hargreeves are the worst, though. 
> 
> Tomorrow is the anniversary of my grandfather's death and it's going to be an incredibly rough weekend. Any love/good thoughts sent my way would be greatly appreciated. 
> 
> Thank you to anyone who shows this love. You all really keep this going. ♥ And if you're interested in reader inserts for Stranger Things or The Walking Dead, then please feel free to check out my other fics. ♥


	8. You've Got Ghosts In Your Town

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is likely the darkest it will get with the Temps Commission. Warnings for mentions of violence and cannibalism. Don't hate me. I'm making up the targets, so any weird coincidence between them and others are just that...a weird coincidence. 
> 
> Songs this chapter:   
> ThisKidsNotAlright by AWOLNATION  
> Bones by Little Big Town

You were allowed to start working with Five again after your job with Hazel and Cha-Cha. You were so relieved to finally be back with Five that you did your best to not piss off The Handler. If a job called for you to use your power, then you did it. You killed your targets and got information however you needed to. You weren't proud of yourself, not by a long shot, but it felt like you were just barely holding on long enough to survive. 

When you were able to return to Five, you didn't talk about what happened with Moore. You didn't want that one experience to taint you. You wanted to move past it and focus on your only goal. You had to get back to the others and stop the apocalypse. It was the only thing that mattered, you told yourself. It didn't matter that you could suddenly create force fields. It didn't matter that your power had likely evolved in an effort to protect you. It didn't matter that sometimes on jobs you went into the bathroom and surrounded yourself with a force field so you felt like nothing could touch you for just a few moments of each day. It didn't matter that you rarely slept anymore, because you no longer dreamt. You had nightmares that seemed to be a mishmash of the people you killed and their own inner turmoil. You lived through other's fears at night and when you managed to wake, you could feel them echoing around your head, haunting you through the day. 

You knew Five was getting worried about you. You stopped talking for a while, thinking that if you only complied with orders, didn't try to argue, then time would pass quickly. The longer you fought what was happening to you, then the more time dragged on. So, you accepted each assignment, separated yourself from what you were doing, and carried on. 

Five tried to get through to you from time to time. He would sit on the end of his own hotel bed, as if distancing himself from you would somehow help him see you more clearly. 

"What's going on with you?" Five asked one time, leaning towards you. "You used to talk to me. You used to trust me." 

You shrugged your shoulders and glanced away from Five, so tired in that moment that you could hardly think past your burning eyes and wish that you could sleep soundlessly just once to remember what it was like. 

Five was silent for a few moments while he watched you. "Do you blame me, Y/N?" 

That got your attention more than anything had in the past few months. You shook your head, frowning at Five. Did you blame him? No. Were you pissed that he didn't listen to your dad when he said that time travel was risky? No. Because he was only a kid when he made the decision not to listen to your dad. How many teenagers out there neglected the advice of their parents and landed themselves in trouble? Plenty. Granted, this situation was wholly unique and likely to be the only one like it in existence, but it still somewhat applied. 

The real question was whether you regretted going with Five all those years ago. After everything that had happened to you. The apocalypse. Finding most of your loved ones dead. Being stuck in time. The Handler. The Temps Commission. Murder and torture and nightmare after nightmare. There were hardly any bright spots in your memories after you went after Five that morning. The last time you had been with your family. Maybe it would be the last time you ever saw them. You weren't sure, but could you really resent your choice to be with Five through everything? The simple answer was no. You kept Five sane. You were sure without you there, Five would have disconnected fully from everything he was being made to do. You were the tether to the family he wanted to get back to in order to save them. You knew that, but you couldn't help but wonder if Five was doing the same for you. 

"No," you finally answered him, your voice cracking on the word. 

He smiled for one brief moment before he reached forward and grabbed your hand. "You're with me on this? No matter what?" 

You froze at his words, wondering if he was planning something. Did he have a way back to the others? Or was he planning on pissing off The Handler? 

"What are you planning?" You couldn't help but ask, knowing that if Five took a step out of line, you would be the one to pay for it. 

"Nothing. Yet," he amended, glancing away from you. 

You trusted Five. With everything. But at that moment, you feared what he might have already decided on doing. "Five," you started, biting your lip. "Be careful," you warned. "We don't have as much power here as we want." 

"I know," Five agreed. "But we will," he said before he grinned at you. 

Usually seeing Five so confident gave you relief, but now you could only think that there was trouble coming for you. 

Reflecting on that moment days later, you should have known better. You should have done more to warn Five off his course of action. You should have told him not to play with both of your lives so callously. If you didn't make it back, then the apocalypse would happen and everyone you loved would die a horrible death. 

Five fucked up, though. He completed the job. He did what was asked of him, for the most part. But where the Temps Commission had asked Five to go one way, he had gone the other. The result of the mission was still the same, but it was an outright act of rebellion. You weren't sure if he was testing the limits the company had put on you or something else. You had long accepted that Five didn't tell you everything, but you wished that he had at least warned you that he was going to deviate so far from the plan that it warranted another visit from The Handler. 

"I'm deeply disappointed in the both of you," she started. 

You were hardly listening, since most of your focus was on the two file folders she was clutching to her chest. This was it. You were going to go off and get just a little more fucked up. Who would it be this time? Another person who enjoyed torturing people and listening to their screams? Another murderer? From the gleam in the Handler's eyes as she handed the file over to you, you figured it wasn't anything so tame. 

"It was my mistake," Five spoke up, reaching out to grab the file from you. "Don't punish my sister for my mistake. She can stay here and I'll carry out both jobs by myself," Five offered. 

"Oh, no," The Handler said, shaking her head. "I'm afraid that you not following orders is what got the both of you into this mess in the first place. Surely you don't want to make this even worse for your sister, Five." 

Five stared at The Handler for so long that you wondered if he was going to try to kill her. His hands were shaking a bit as he flipped open the folder meant for you. You heard him suck in a sharp breath in surprise before he shook his head. "No," he said, attempting to give the folder back to The Handler. "You can't do that to her." 

"You'll find that I can," The Handler answered as she took the folder from Five and handed it to you. "Now be a good little agent and carry out your jobs. I promise if you don't, then you'll only find yourself with harsher consequences." 

You sighed and reached out to grab the file, not feeling totally confident after the way Five reacted. You opened the file, skimming the first few lines. You felt your breath hitch as the words printed on the page registered. 

You were vaguely aware of The Handler leaving you a briefcase so you could go on your mission like 'a good little agent.' "Five," you croaked, shaking your head. "I can do this," you told him with a confidence you didn't truly feel. It's just one job. One job and everything would go back to normal. That's what you told yourself, but you didn't know if you really believed it. As long as you were trapped under the thumb of The Handler and Temps Commission, you'd never truly have a normal life. 

"Let me take it," Five said, reaching out to grab your file. 

You were quick to snatch it out of his reach. "You'll only make it worse," you whispered. 

You noticed the way Five flinched at your words, but you couldn't feel any guilt in that moment. Not when the Temps Commission had tracked down someone so reprehensible for you to hunt down and mentally invade. You breathed in a shaky sigh and stood, doing your best not to topple over when it felt like your legs didn't want to support your weight. "I can do this," you repeated to yourself as you moved over towards your briefcase and lined up the right combination. "See you on the other side," you told Five, not even bothering to look at him as you disappeared. 

When you were next fully aware of your surroundings, lucid for what felt like the first time in decades, you were kneeling on the floor of your motel room. Five was crouched down in front of you, calling your name. There were tears in his eyes, a sight so rare that you were shocked back into yourself, finally registering what was going on. 

You glanced down at your shaking hands, noting that they were covered in blood. Was it yours? Your target's? At the thought of the man you had been sent after, you felt a sob break free from your throat. It was like the floodgates opened and you reached out to grab onto Five's shirt, not caring you were smearing blood all over him and marring the fabric. There were tears liberally streaming down your face and you didn't think you'd be able to stop any time soon. 

"He was--" you cut yourself off, feeling your breathing shudder. You clenched your hand in Five's shirt and shook him, feeling a wave of emotions you couldn't hope to tame. They all slipped past you, dizzying and distant until they rushed at you. You felt like you were choking, your head spinning, as you tried to hold onto one thought. 

Five's arms wrapped around you, but you were quick to push him away. 

"No!" You cried out, hastily pushing yourself across the floor to get away from him. You moved until you were between the bed and the wall, feeling contained but not trapped. You felt like you were going to fall apart with one wrong move and you tried to focus. 

"Y/N," Five whispered, his tone betraying how terrified he must have felt. 

You glanced up to see he was staring at something on the floor. You hadn't even felt your power slip, but it must have. There was a projection on the floor of you. You appeared dead, your sightless eyes staring up at the ceiling, with a bullet wound to your forehead. It was something from Five’s nightmares and you couldn’t help the sharp, twisting feeling in your gut. If Five was so worried about you getting killed, then why the fuck did he bring this down on you in the first place? 

You gripped your hair in your hands, shaking your head back and forth as you struggled to drop the image. It felt like your grasp on your power was tenuous at best, but you didn't want to make the situation worse for yourself or Five. 

Five skirted around the spot, as if your body was really there, before he moved to the end of the bed. He watched you, his expression wary. "What can I do?" 

"Nothing," you spat, bringing your hands up to cover your face. You just wanted your hands to stop shaking. You wanted to stop crying. You wanted to _think_ for just one moment about anything other than the job. 

You were shocked upon reading the file, but it was nothing compared to actually meeting the target. 

"He ate them," you finally got out, pulling your hands away to look up at Five. "He ate them and he liked it. He hunted them, like they were deer in a fucking forest. He liked the chase," you said before you gagged, remembering the pleasure the target had taken in feasting on living flesh. "They were just children," you whispered, horrified. 

"I'm sorry," Five said. He crouched down so he was on your level again, but he didn't approach you. "I'm so fucking sorry," he got out, his hands clenched into fists. "I'll make it right." 

You barked out a helpless laugh, trying to keep yourself from throwing up. You had already been plenty sick earlier and you were sure that if you were sick again now, then you would just spend hours retching over the toilet if you gave in. "How, Five? You've been promising that this whole time. I can't do this anymore!" You yelled, already feeling like your grasp on reality was slipping. The last target, a man named Sam Young, was already swirling around your mind. It had been so satisfying to put an end to him, but that wasn't before you'd gotten into his head. 

"I'm so close," Five promised. "I'm going to get us home and once we stop the apocalypse, I'm going to kill her. I'll kill her and I'll take them all down." 

You sniffled and rubbed your nose on the sleeve of your arm. "I don't believe you," you whispered, turning your back on him. 

Silence was your only answer.

***

You remembered all of their names. Daniel Moore and Sam Young and the countless others you'd gone after for the Temps Commission. You remembered their insanity and how each one had broken off a little piece of themselves into you. You felt, sometimes, as if your mind wasn't quite sure who you were anymore. Sam Young had been the worst, but he wasn't the only one.

It had taken you three more jobs before you spoke to Five again and once you uttered your first words to him, you remembered the way his face lit up. You didn't want to do that to him. You didn't want him to feel like he was all alone even if you were still there. So, you'd forgiven Five and did your best to not only be his sister, but his partner as well. Still, it didn't escape your notice that Five followed every rule and regulation after that, not wanting to bring down the wrath of The Handler or Temps Commission on both of you again. 

Now, as you sat on the couch in the living room, you couldn't help but think of all of the monsters they’d sent you after. They had shaped you, whether you wanted them to or not. They had changed you forever. The Temps Commission had pressed you down and formed you into its killer. You were a weapon to them and what was sick was that you were collateral damage to them. Five had always been their star and you had only been used as they saw fit. 

You didn't like using your power, because it reminded you of those days when you wanted to carve it out of you. During those days, when you rarely spoke and could hardly breathe from everything you felt bottling up, you wanted nothing more than to just be normal. No power. No tragic backstory. Nothing. You wanted to float along and not have to worry about one damn thing. 

Now, you'd not only used your power, but you were brought right back to all of the people you'd killed with it. 

"Hey," Klaus whispered, bringing your attention back to him. He was sitting next to you, his legs curled up under him, as he poked your arm. "What are you thinking about?" 

You shook your head and bit your lip. You'd kept Young from Klaus. You didn't want to tell him about the worst moment of your life, even if you knew he'd understand. Still, you wanted to. You wanted to let go of your demons if only for a moment. You just weren't sure if you wanted to unload everything on Klaus. 

"Come on," he coaxed, moving to wrap an arm around your shoulders. "Is it about what happened with dad? What did he do? Should I hope Diego's finally harnessing all of that pent-up rage and killing him once and for all?" 

You couldn't help but let out a laugh at that, because you knew Diego was probably getting absolutely nowhere with Reginald Hargreeves in that moment. The man was a fortress of information and unless you knew the secret password, he'd never open those gates. "I slipped and used my power. It brought up some bad memories," you confessed. 

"Well, hey, if that's the problem," he started, slipping his hand down the front of the skirt he was still wearing to produce a packet of pills. "I'll share with you," he offered. 

You smiled at him and shook your head. "Keep them," you said. 

He shrugged his shoulders, opening the packet to pop two of the pills into his mouth. He sighed and stuffed the packet back down the front of the skirt. You wondered for a moment if he had been storing them in his underwear somehow before he reached out to grab your hand. "Talk to me," he said, squeezing your hand. 

You grimaced and shook your head. "Not sure if I can. It's more messed up than most of what I told you last night." 

Klaus studied you for a few moments, before he nodded his head. "You know, I used to only get high so I wouldn't use my power." 

You glanced over at him, seeing him watching you carefully. You knew what he was trying to do. He was trading one confession for another. If you saw him vulnerable now, trusting you with something he likely didn't admit to many people, then you'd be more likely to tell him what was on your mind. You weren't sure if it would work, but you weren't going to pass up the opportunity to listen to Klaus. 

"Dad used to throw me in a crypt. He'd shut the door and tell me he'd only let me out once I got over my fear of using my power. Once I got over my fear of dead people. They used to be there all the time, screaming at me. It was constant and I was so scared." 

You weren't aware of this. You thought your hatred for your dad couldn't possibly get worse, but realizing the extent of his parental neglect and how it had affected Klaus had you wanting to kill someone for the first time since you'd escaped the Temps Commission. You thought of every dark thing stored inside your mind and thought of unleashing them on Reginald Hargreeves. It would feel good for a little while, you thought, but it wouldn't bring you the justice you sought. There would come a day, you thought, when you would finally stand up to the man and it would feel so good. You just weren’t sure when it would happen. 

"I figured out that if I was high enough, then I couldn't see them. I couldn't hear them. Plus, it felt really fucking good to be high," he let out on a laugh. "But there is one ghost I see. Most of the time," he added. 

"Who?" You asked, frowning. 

"Ben," Klaus answered. "Since he died. At first, it was only echoes. Little blips. And then he started coming in stronger. I didn't really want to see him at first. I felt like I'd failed him, somehow. But then he was suddenly there all the time and narrating my life," he said with a thoughtful look on his face. "He says hey, by the way. He's glad you're back." 

"Ben," you breathed, glancing around as if you could see him. "I'm sorry," you told him. "Five and I wanted to get back here in time, but we failed. I wanted to save you." 

Klaus frowned as he tipped his head back, seemingly listening to Ben. "He says he knows and it's not your fault. He said if you really wanted to make it up to him, then you'll fess up now." 

"Low blow, Ben," you grumbled. You really didn't feel like talking, but you figured it might help you the slightest bit. Besides, knowing that Ben had been around the whole time, you felt like you'd already confessed most of your sins to him and Klaus, what was one more? 

You told them about Five screwing up the job. The Handler punishing you. Sam Young and all of his dark tendencies. The way he'd practically imprinted on your mind and how you hadn't been able to really eat anything for weeks after that job, thinking of the man and his perversion. That it was the one job that had you craving the apocalypse and the end. You didn't realize that you closed your eyes at one point, but you opened them suddenly when you felt Klaus pull you into a hug. 

"I'm going to slap that little shit the first chance I get," Klaus promised. "I can't believe he would do that, knowing you'd answer for it." 

"It wasn't really his fault," you denied, not sure if you truly believed your words. 

"You know it doesn't make me think differently of you," Klaus said. "You did what you had to do. And fuck dad for making you use your powers. You never have to use them again if you don't want to." 

You had spent so long thinking you were only as good as your powers. You thought that it was the only reason you were alive or worthy or special. You'd longed to be rid of it, knowing that it wasn't nearly worth the trouble it had brought you. But now, looking at Klaus and seeing that he meant the words he told you, you couldn't help but feel such relief. You reached out for him without thinking about what you were doing, reeling him in until your lips were pressed against his, tasting him for just a moment. 

You heard his noise of surprise and felt the way he froze before you realized what you had done. "I'm sorry," you blurted when you pulled back. You were quick to stand, putting some distance between you and Klaus. You weren't sure what you were thinking, but kissing Klaus had likely been a mistake. You had both just shared incredibly personal stories with each other and you were both likely vulnerable. If it was going to happen at all, then you probably should have waited or at least made sure he was interested. You moved to leave the room, aware that Klaus was getting up from the couch to follow you. 

You barely thought about it when you put up a force field to separate you. It was such an instinctive reaction that you could barely take a moment to be disappointed in yourself when you felt so embarrassed for practically throwing yourself at Klaus. 

You moved quickly to the front door of the mansion, not sure where you were going, but knowing that you needed to escape. 

"Y/N! Wait!" You heard Klaus call as you opened the front door. You could feel him running his fingers over the force field and as you shut the door of the mansion behind you, you heard him yell. "What the fuck is this thing?" 

You weren't sure where you were going to go. You knew once you got outside of range of the force field, it would drop. You had to make a decision and soon. 

"Y/N?" You heard, startling you out of your panicked thoughts. "Are you okay?" 

You glanced around to see Vanya just down the sidewalk, her brow furrowed as she considered you. "I'm fine," you said, knowing it was a lie, but not wanting to really worry Vanya. You'd gotten all worked up over a kiss and now you weren't sure if you'd made the right decision in running away. A little distance from the situation was good, sure, but you weren't sure how far you wanted to go. "Were you coming to visit?" 

Vanya nodded her head, shooting you a small smile as she walked closer to you. "I wanted to check in on you. I know you probably don't need me to, but I really missed you." 

You moved forward to pull her into a hug. "I missed you too." You could feel your control on the force field beginning to slip. "Hey, why don't we visit at your place? I want to see it." 

Vanya looked surprised for a moment before she nodded her head. "Sure. I'll just get us a cab." 

You waited for Vanya to flag down a cab, glancing up and down the street in interest. You realized that in the time that you'd been back, you hadn't really had an opportunity to take in the world around you. You had been to pick up Delores and to the station with Diego to visit Klaus, but other than that, you'd rarely left the mansion. 

Once Vanya managed to get you a cab, you let the force field drop. You sighed in relief, feeling drained for a few moments. You felt guilty for using your power against Klaus, but you needed just a moment to get your thoughts in order. Besides, you were interested in seeing where Vanya lived. Now seemed just as good a time as any. 

You listened to Vanya tell you about her lessons and rehearsals. You wondered if Vanya ever got to really talk to anyone else in the family. From what you could tell, Luther and Allison had very little to do with anyone else in the family. Diego was usually playing vigilante or Klaus was lost in his own problems. Five was displaced in time. Ben was dead. There was no way Reginald Hargreeves actually gave a fuck about any of his children to show them any compassion. Were you the only one in the family to show an actual interest in Vanya lately? 

By the time you got to Vanya's apartment, you were smiling again. You could tell she was passionate about music and even though she suspected something was wrong with you, she didn't push you to talk about it. There was something about Vanya, her sweet nature or her need to be there for everyone but herself, that you wanted to protect. She didn't deserve half the shit life had thrown at her and while you had your own share of issues, you were glad that you were getting the chance to reconnect with her before the world possibly fell apart in just a few months. 

"You want anything to drink?" Vanya asked once you were inside her apartment. 

You were glancing around, thinking about Vanya living in the small space and carrying out her life. "No, thank you," you told her. "I'm just grateful to get out of there for a little while." 

"Did something happen?" She asked, removing her scarf and wrapping it around the coatrack near her front door. "I thought you seemed in a rush to leave." She shook her head as she removed her jacket. "Of course, you don't have to tell me anything. It's none of my business." 

You wanted to tell Vanya, though. You wanted to tell someone, because you weren't quite sure that it had actually happened. You felt like if you finally talked about it, then maybe you could start to process it. "I, uh, I kissed Klaus," you admitted, feeling a blush bloom on your cheeks. 

"Did you mean to kiss Klaus?" Vanya asked, turning to consider you, her eyebrows raised in surprise. 

You nodded your head, feeling shy. "I'm just not sure he wanted me to kiss him." 

Vanya considered you for a moment longer before she nodded her head, as if coming to a decision. "Want to hear me play something?" She asked, gesturing at her violin. 

You nodded your head, eager for the distraction. You knew Vanya was likely giving you an out, an out from talking about Klaus and an out from thinking about Klaus, and you were going to take it. 

You weren't sure how long you'd been sitting on Vanya's couch, listening to her practice for her upcoming rehearsal, when there was a knock on the door. 

Vanya frowned at the door before she put her violin down. You turned on the couch to watch the front door, surprised when she opened it to reveal Diego and Klaus standing there. 

"What are you two doing here?" Vanya asked, blocking them from entering her apartment. 

"Klaus wanted to find Y/N after she ran away and I offered to help him track her down. Can we come in?" 

Vanya glanced back at you, raising her eyebrow in question. You glanced at Klaus, seeing his earnest and worried expression, before you caved. 

You sighed and stood up from the couch. You moved towards the door and pulled Vanya into a hug. "Thank you. For everything," you added. "I'll come visit you again soon," you promised, liking the idea of getting out of the mansion as often as you could, especially after what your dad had just put you through. 

Klaus was practically bouncing from one foot to the other as he waited for you to join him in the hallway. "Can we talk?" He asked, reaching out to grab your hand, as if he was worried you'd take off again. 

"Yeah," you agreed, as you let him pull you towards the stairwell. You were aware of Diego telling Vanya goodbye before following the both of you. You really hoped that if you were about to get rejected, then Klaus would at least wait until it was just the two of you. 

Once you were outside, Diego turned to look at the pair of you. "I've got something I need to do," he said, nodding towards his car. "Can you two make it back to the mansion by yourselves?" 

You nodded your head. "We'll manage," you said, feeling Klaus squeeze your hand. "What are you going to do?" 

"There was something weird on the radio before we got here," he told you as he slipped his domino mask out of his pocket. "I wanted to check it out." He sighed before he glanced from you to Klaus and back again. "You're sure you'll be okay?" 

"Oh, go Diego. Run off and be a superhero," Klaus said with a roll of his eyes. 

Diego threw a scowl at Klaus before he turned towards his car. 

"Good luck," you called out, hating that Diego was likely about to throw himself into danger. There was a part of you that wanted to go with him, but you didn't think it was a good idea. Besides, you had your own personal drama to take care of at the moment. 

Diego waved to you before he got in his car and sped off, leaving you alone with Klaus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are still rough for the reader after this, but not with the Temps Commission. And I promise no drama between the reader and Klaus...that's not until the sequel. ;)
> 
> Thank you to everyone who shows this any love. Y'all really keep this going. ♥
> 
> If you're interested in reader inserts for other fandoms, then I have reader inserts for Anna and the Apocalypse, Ready or Not, Stranger Things, and The Walking Dead. Feel free to check them out if you want to. ♥ 
> 
> Things are so scary right now. I hope all of you are doing well and taking the right precautions. Please stay safe and healthy. We'll get through this. ♥


	9. We Could Share the Kingdom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs for this chapter:   
> Kamikaze by Walk the Moon  
> Tightrope by Walk the Moon

Growing up, if anyone had told you that you would accidentally spend over forty years in the apocalypse and then get picked up by a company that turned you into an assassin, you would never have believed it. You wouldn't have believed that you would come to rely on Five just to get through the day. You wouldn't believe that you would ever feel betrayed by him. You wouldn't believe that some days you missed your family so much that you felt like you couldn't breathe from the way your chest felt like it was caving in without them. You wouldn't believe that you would go decades without seeing Klaus or talking to him or seeking him out whenever you were in the same room. You wouldn't believe that every horrible thing you thought could happen to you was barely scratching the surface of what your adult life was really like. 

You had dreamed of leaving the mansion and leaving your power behind. You thought you’d leave the Academy and find your own apartment. You’d get a job and distance yourself from Reginald Hargreeves and his dubious training methods and parental neglect. You’d make sure Luther didn’t let the position of Number One go to his head and you’d make sure there was someone around to make Diego laugh, so he didn’t scowl all the time. You’d wanted to go shopping with Allison and be there for Klaus when he needed to get away from the ghosts haunting him. You’d wanted to see everything Five accomplished and try to make sure Ben knew that he wasn’t a monster just because they were underneath his skin. You’d wanted to let Vanya know she was a part of the family and involve her as much as you could in your daily life. You’d wanted so much when you were younger that you never considered that you would never get any of that. In a cruel twist of fate, all of your dreams vanished and were replaced by the nightmare of your existence as an agent of the Temps Commission. 

After the Sam Young job, you could hardly stand the sight of The Handler. It was hard enough looking at Five and talking to him without feeling like you were tainted by the blood you spilled and the dreams of a mad man knocking around your mind, but every time you saw The Handler, you wanted to rip her throat out. 

Once the Sam Young mission was completed, she visited you and Five to get the extra briefcase back. You tried hard to resist the urge to hit her over the head with it. She offered you what you were sure was her most condescending smile, as if she knew you wanted nothing more than to kill her. "Well? Did you learn your lesson?" 

You glared up at her, thinking of every violent act you'd had to witness through the dreams of others because of The Handler. You felt your hands clench into fists, your nails biting into your palms. You thought of taking the gun Arthur gifted to you what felt like a lifetime ago and putting a bullet between her eyes. You wanted to take her and tear her apart. You wanted to take every lesson you'd learned from the Temps Commission and use it on her. 

What horrified you most was that you couldn't tell if those violent urges were from the imprints your victims had left on your mind or if they were fully, one hundred percent you. 

"I did," Five answered, moving until he was standing between you and The Handler, as if in an attempt to protect you. "It won't happen again." 

The Handler smirked and dipped her head in a nod. "See that it doesn't." 

Once The Handler was gone, Five turned to you. "Are you okay?" 

You shrugged your shoulders and turned away from him. Were you okay? No. Of course not. But you didn't have it in you to pretend that you were for Five. At least, not at the moment. 

Most people assumed that Five was some badass assassin who didn’t care about anything but getting the job done. You knew better, though. Five was always focused on the job and completing a mission, but in some ways, he would always be a scared teenager missing his family. He was just as tortured by the Temps Commission and The Handler as you were and he did it all because he wanted to get back to his family and stop the apocalypse. You knew Five better than anyone and while you were in no way okay with recent events, you knew that Five needed you just as much as you needed him. 

You opened up to Five as more jobs came your way. You noticed how he would take the lead on every job, leaving you to contribute if you wanted. The only times you were required to help was if it was explicitly stated in your instructions. You knew that Five was trying to protect you. But after everything you had seen, you didn't know if you needed his protection. 

You'd witnessed horrors you never thought possible and while it had taken its toll on you, you felt stronger for overcoming it all. If you were a little more violent and little more ruthless, then you told yourself that just came with the job. If Five sometimes watched you like you were a stranger, then that was something you'd get used to. You had to acclimate to your new reality or you would never make it back to the others. You would never make it back to Klaus. And that, you told yourself, was unacceptable. 

You could feel your power respond in kind. It felt like it was tightly coiled inside you, waiting to be unleashed at a moment's notice. Your power felt like it was building and gathering strength. You noticed that every time you had to use it, it seemed to take you less effort to bring the target's nightmare to life. 

You wondered if it was possible for your power to take on a life of its own. You considered the possibility, not for the first time, that your time as an assassin was slowly killing the person you'd been before you'd met The Handler. You couldn't help but question if you finally made it back to your family, would they even recognize you? Would they be disgusted by what you had become? Would Klaus hate you? You weren't sure, but some days you were more scared of getting back to your family and facing their judgement than you were having to suffer another day under The Handler's control. 

There were some nights you locked yourself in the motel bathroom, force field shielding you, as you broke down. You cried and muffled screams into the scratchy, cheap towels the motel offered. You stared at yourself in the mirror, wondering if you looked as different as you felt on the inside. You were terrified of what you were becoming and you wanted to stop. Stop killing. Stop using your power. Stop bowing down to a company that didn't give a fuck about you. You just wanted everything to stop. 

After a job that had you lying on your bed, staring up at the motel room ceiling, Five sat down near you. He had stopped being so cautious around you, which you figured was helped by the fact that you were acting like you were fine. You talked to him. You went on jobs. You did what you were supposed to do. You cracked jokes and listened when Five needed to talk through his theories. You'd gotten really good at pretending. 

He slowly reached out to grab your hand, pulling your full attention to him. "I'm getting close," he promised. "I know I'm almost done with the equations." 

It was something he'd been telling you frequently over the past few weeks. You were skeptical, but you also knew that Five was the smartest person you'd ever met. You trusted him to get you back home. The only question was _when_. 

"Delores said there was something off about them," you couldn't help but point out, knowing it was a sore subject for Five. 

Five scowled, glancing away from you. "I know I have it right this time. I'm close," he told you when he finally looked at you again. "I just need you to hang on for a little longer." 

You arched an eyebrow at him. "How much is a little longer, Five? A week? A month? Another year?" You didn’t mean to sound so bitter, but you couldn’t help it in that moment. There were some days when all you could think was you were stuck being a puppet for the Temps Commission. There were some days when you thought that was all you would ever be. 

Five frowned and let go of your hand. "Just trust me, okay? Do you still trust me?" 

You nodded your head, not even having to think about your answer. "Of course I do."

***

You didn't say anything on the way back to the mansion. Well, you assumed Klaus was taking you back to the mansion. You were worried that if you started talking, then you'd end up blurting out everything about your feelings for Klaus. It was safer to stay silent, you told yourself. You needed to get a better read on the situation before you showed your hand.

Once back at the Academy, you moved to head into the living room, assuming that was where your conversation would be taking place. Klaus grabbed your hand and shook his head, offering you a wary grin. Instead, he led you towards his room. You were surprised when he pulled you into the room and then closed the door behind him. He tugged you over to his bed, his fingers wrapped tight around your hand, as if he thought you'd make a run for it if he let you go for even a second. 

"Look, we need to talk," Klaus started. 

You winced, knowing that every rejection started with those words. 

"Wait. No. That's not what this is," Klaus tried to assure you as he sat down on the edge of his bed. He pulled on your hand until you sat beside him, your eyes trained on the floor so you wouldn't have to watch Klaus try to let you down easy. 

"I'm sorry," you whispered, keeping most of your focus on where the toes of your shoes were digging into the floor. 

"Sorry?" Klaus asked, sounding confused. "For what?" 

You shrugged your shoulders. "For kissing you," you answered. You took a deep breath, finally braving looking at Klaus. "I know it wasn't the right time. And you probably didn't want me to kiss you. I shouldn't have done it." 

Klaus sighed, tightening his grip on your hand. You'd forgotten he was still holding your hand, but once he brought your attention back to it, you couldn't seem to focus on anything else but the feel of his hand wrapped around yours. "Don't be sorry," he told you. He let out a laugh, shaking his head. "I guess I haven't been all that clear." 

You frowned and glanced up at him. "Clear about what?" 

"I guess it's time for a story," he said, bringing his legs up on the bed so he could cross them. He hunched over a bit, biting his lip, before he nodded his head, as if psyching himself up for something. "I've been with a lot of people over the years. Girls and guys and basically anyone that caught my eye. Sometimes, it was because I needed a place to stay. Sometimes, it was because I didn't want to be alone. And then there were the times when I was briefly infatuated enough to think I wanted to actually try a relationship." 

"Klaus, why are you telling me this?" This was definitely not going in the direction you assumed it would go. You thought Klaus would tell you he didn't feel that way about you. You pictured Klaus staring at you with his wide, earnest eyes and telling you that he loved you, but not like that. You thought Klaus was going to reject you, so why was he talking about his previous relationships? 

Klaus shushed you and shook his head. "I'm getting there. Just hold on, okay?" 

You nodded your head, watching him as he brought his other hand up and bit at his nails. You couldn’t help but notice the polish was already chipped and you glanced down at your own nails, briefly admiring the midnight blue Klaus had coated them in the day before. After a few moments, he finally dropped his hand and glanced at you. "So, I'm not great at the whole commitment thing. It's not like I get bored, but..." he trailed off, thinking it over for a moment. "Well, yeah, okay. I guess I do get bored. But there's a reason for that." 

When he didn't say anything for a couple of minutes, you tugged on his hand. He shot a glance down at your joined hands, as if just realizing that you were still holding hands. "If you don't want to go on, Klaus, I'll understand." He didn’t seem like he was quite reluctant to share with you, but he did appear to be struggling for the right words. 

"No," Klaus said as he shook his head. "I'm pretty sure this is the most important conversation of my life and I don't want to fuck it up." He let out a breathless laugh and used his other hand to card his fingers through his hair. "Ugh, I feel like I'm a teenager and trying to talk to my crush for the first time." 

You smirked at him, a little thrown off by how uncharacteristically nervous Klaus seemed in that moment. You were used to him flashing easy smiles and talking his head off about anything and everything. The Klaus in front of you seemed ruffled and struggling to find a way to express himself. "Don't lie," you started, winking at him in an attempt to get him to relax a little. "You charmed the pants off them. I know it." 

Klaus grinned at you, finally brightening for the first time since you'd gotten to his room. "Yeah," he breathed. "I did." 

You glanced away from him, considering his room so you wouldn’t have to look at him when you spoke your next words. "If you're trying to tell me that you think you'd get bored if we got together, then I'll understand. I'd rather have you as my best friend than my boyfriend." You failed to keep your attention away from Klaus and managed to catch his bewildered expression with your last few words. 

Klaus' eyes widened briefly at the word 'boyfriend,' before he shook his head. "No. Fuck. I'm fucking this all up." He sighed and turned on the bed until he was able to fully meet your gaze. "I spent years waiting for you to come back. At a certain point, as I made my way through a lot of other relationships, I started to realize that I was still waiting for you." He broke his hold on your hand and brought his hands up to cup your face in his hands. "I'm pretty sure you were my first love and I didn't even know it until it was too late to do anything about it. I compared everyone to how you made me feel when we were younger. And I was serious when I told you you're the only girl I've ever let break my heart. You gave me hope. You listened to me. You confided in me. You make me feel like I'm needed. Like I'm important." 

You frowned at him, having no choice but to meet his eyes since he was still holding your face in his hands. "You're important, Klaus. I don't know why you would think you aren't." 

Klaus snorted at that, as if you'd told a joke. He pulled away and grabbed your hand again, as if seeking a lifeline. "Come on, Y/N. Even before Five whisked you off to the apocalypse, you know how I was treated by the rest of the team. How dad treated me. I was the boy who saw ghosts. I was the one getting high and least likely to save the day. I didn’t have muscles like Luther or combat skills like Diego. I was the least useful one on the team." 

You squeezed his hand, shaking your head. "Klaus, you're the most important person to me." 

He shot you a soft smile, his free hand coming up to tuck a strand of hair behind your ear. "And you're it for me.” He sighed and turned even further until he was fully facing you. "My longest relationship only lasted a month," he confided. "He was great. He let me live with him. He made fantastic food. Like, seriously, even better than the sex," he told you with a wink. "And he told me he loved me. But the funny thing is that I could only think about you. I hadn't seen you in years and my mind immediately went to you." He scooted closer to you on the bed until he was practically in your lap. "See, given enough time, I leave. I leave or they leave me. Doesn’t matter who it is or how we’re connected. I can’t keep people in my life for very long without something fucking it up. Like Ben," he said as he shot a playful glare over his shoulder. He rolled his eyes, "Hey, you're haunting me, buddy. So shut up." 

"Ben's still here?" You felt terrible for even forgetting for a second that Ben followed Klaus. You'd been so caught up in Klaus' words, though. He was rarely so serious for so long and you wanted to soak up every word he was telling you. You were sure that not many people got even a glimpse of what Klaus was showing you and you didn’t want to take it for granted. 

"Don't worry, I'll tell him to look away if things heat up," he told you with a smirk. He tugged on your hand until you turned more towards him on the bed. "Life wasn't easy, you know? I moved out as soon as I could, mostly because I wanted to get the fuck away from dad, but I just didn't want to be reminded about every shitty thing that happened to me here. When I was between relationships, I'd crawl back here and stay in my old bedroom. From time to time, I'd visit your old room and sit on your bed and wonder if you were still alive. Just the thought that one day I'd see you like I see Ben would give me nightmares." He choked out a laugh before smirking at you. "That's funny, right? If you'd been here, you could have stopped those." His tone had turned bitter for a moment and you felt your breath hitch at the sound of it. 

"I'm sorry I wasn’t here for you. I wanted to be. More than anything," you whispered. It wasn't your fault. Not really. But you had chosen to follow Five that morning. You told Klaus you'd be right back and you didn't come back. Not for sixteen years. Not for forty-five years. You thought of every horrible thing that had happened to Klaus during that time and wondered if you'd been there, if you could have stopped any of it. If you never left the Academy that morning, then what would have become of Klaus? 

Klaus shook his head. "Don't be sorry. You’re here now,” he said, his expression softening. “When I saw you while I was in jail, I didn't want to believe it. I thought maybe I was having a dream or I was seeing shit because of the drugs. And I let my abandonment issues get the best of me. The only thing that convinced me that it wasn't some fantasy I'd cooked up was that Diego was there." He grinned at you, nudging you until you smiled too. "There's no way I wanted Diego to crash our reunion." He sighed and his smile fell. "I went back to my cell and I thought of everything I should have told you. I missed you," he said before he pressed a kiss to your cheek. "I waited for you," he added before he pressed a kiss to the other one. "I'm glad you're back," he told you just as he kissed your forehead. "I'm happy you're not dead," he said as he pecked the tip of your nose, a smile back on his face. "Y/N, you scare me, but in a good way. You scare me because I'm not used to feeling this way about someone or feeling like someone needs me. I’m used to drifting, but you make me feel like I want to settle for the first time in my life." 

"I do need you," you told him, your voice coming out in a whisper. You weren't sure what to do with most of what Klaus told you, but you couldn't help but hope that it meant your feelings were returned. If this turned out to be a long lead up to a rejection, then you weren't quite sure if you'd be able to take it. "For years, all I could think about was getting back to you. I went through everything, pushing myself past what I thought capable to get back to everyone, but especially you. I was so scared that I would get back and you wouldn't recognize me. I thought you'd hate me or want nothing to do with me. I felt like a monster, but you didn’t even blink at most of what I told you." 

Klaus laughed and shook his head, as if just the thought of him hating you or turning you away was bizarre to him. "I'll always want you around. I need you too, you know," he said as he leaned forward. He cupped your face in his hands, his thumbs sweeping over your cheeks, before he offered you a grin. "I want to try something," he whispered before he pulled you in closer to him and kissed you. 

All you could focus on was Klaus pressed against you, his hands on your face, and his lips pressed against yours. You could feel him smiling against your mouth and you couldn't help but respond in kind. When Klaus pulled away, he pressed his forehead to yours and met your eyes. 

"Okay?" He asked, sounding worried. You wondered how he could possibly not know that you would gladly take anything he gave you. 

You pulled in a shaky breath before you smiled at him. "Okay," you answered. It was more than okay. It was the best thing to ever happen to you, you were sure. 

“Okay,” he repeated. He grinned and then pressed a quick kiss to your lips before he sat up. "I don't want to rush this. This one," he said as he gestured between you both, "it means something to me. And I want to see where this takes us." 

You nodded your head. You had waited all this time for Klaus and you weren't looking to ruin it all by rushing headfirst into a relationship at the first sign he was interested in you. "Sounds like a plan," you said, offering him a smile. 

He flashed his teeth in a grin, tugging you closer to him until you were practically in his lap. "Good. That doesn’t mean we can’t make out like teenagers, though. Fuck off, Ben!" Klaus called over his shoulder before he kissed you again. 

You let out a startled laugh, but quickly lost yourself to the kiss. You weren't sure how long you spent on Klaus' bed, wrapped up in each other, before there was a knock on the bedroom door. 

Klaus groaned and pulled away from you. "Go away!” He yelled, sounding out of breath. “I’m doing something important,” he added with a smirk in your direction. 

"May I come in?" You heard Pogo ask. "It's urgent." 

Klaus sighed as you moved away from him and sat beside him on the bed. You noticed Klaus trying to adjust himself even though he was still wearing Allison’s skirt and felt yourself blush. "It's fine, Pogo!" Klaus called. "Come in." 

Pogo swung open the door and you immediately knew that something was wrong from the expression on his face. Pogo was usually serious, but he looked so somber in that moment, as if he had grave news to bestow on the both of you, that you immediately leaned forward in concern. 

“What’s wrong?” 

"Pogo?" Klaus said, sitting up as he considered Pogo. "What's going on?" 

"I'm afraid I have some terrible news concerning Master Diego," Pogo said as he glanced from Klaus to you. "He's in trouble."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to write fluff for this chapter, but I don't think I quite managed it. Writing fluff or romance makes me so nervous. I hope I didn't fuck it up. But I do love leaving cliffhangers, so sorry about that. 😉 Any love shown for this fic makes me ridiculously happy, so thank you to everyone who comments, leaves kudos, subscribes, or bookmarks this fic. You keep this going. ♥ 
> 
> If you're interested in reader inserts for Anna and the Apocalypse, Ready or Not, Stranger Things, or The Walking Dead, then please feel free to check out my other fics. ♥
> 
> Stay safe and take the proper precautions, please. It's terrifying what's happening out there in the world and I know it seems hopeless at times, but we will get through this. Please remember to take care of yourselves. ♥


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